The Treasury Department plans to sell shares in five community banks for a discount of approximately 60%.

KeyCorp (KEY) has sold its asset management and broker-dealer businesses for more than $50 million less than originally anticipated.

Improved loan quality is allowing banks to reduce provisions, but industry experts believe that option may soon be tapped out.

Thoma Bravo announced Thursday that it's completed the acquisition of Intuit's financial services division in a deal valued at more than $1 billion.

Pacific Trust Bank in Los Angeles has exercised its option to buy CS Financial in Beverly Hills, the bank said in a regulatory filing. Jeffrey Seabold, the managing director of Pacific Trust's residential lending division, is a majority owner of CS.

Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc., a Norfolk, Va.-based debt buyer, this week reported second quarter financial results that included jumps in revenue, net income and cash collections.

SouthCrest Financial (SCSG) in Peachtree City, Ga., has raised nearly $18 million from a group led by Castle Creek Capital.

Maria Mitchell, a 19th century U.S. astronomer with historic ties to Pacific National Bank of Nantucket, was commemorated with a special doodle on google.com Thursday.

Increased stability among Georgia's banks also increases the odds of consolidation in the once-beleaguered state.

Outsiders were as excited as executives of the Columbus, Ga., bank after it repaid its Tarp funds, said CEO Kessel Stelling, who received scores of well-wishes.

Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK), HomeTrust Bancshares (HTBI), Glacier Bancorp (GCBI) and Central Valley Community Bancorp (CVCY) all announced deal completions Wednesday.

The serial acquirer in Rosemont, Ill., announced Wednesday that it has agreed to buy the $165 million-asset Diamond Bancorp, which has a branch on Chicago's north side and three branches in its northern suburbs.

The Seattle mortgage lender's agreements to buy two small banks would give it more commercial lending expertise and put it in the company of other banks like Sterling Financial and AmericanWest that are engaged in M&A-driven makeovers.

More banks are planning to sell or spin off businesses because of Basel III, shareholder pressure and other forces, according to the Institute of International Finance and EY.

Bankers must do a lot of homework when a vendor is sold in order to prepare for the transition and potentially take advantage of the change.

Louisiana officials announced plans this week to give the state's new debt recovery office its first delinquent accounts for collection.

Hudson City Bancorp (HCBK) in Paramus, N.J., reported a second-quarter profit of $48.7 million, down from $72.3 million in the second quarter of 2012. Earnings per share were 10 cents, in line with the average estimate of analysts polled by Bloomberg.

Leaders of midsize banks were generally more enthusiastic about M&A than larger ones during second-quarter calls and other discussions, but the deal-minded have very specific kinds of targets in mind.

The Florida bank says that after a string of troubled-bank acquisitions that brought it lots of short-term benefits, it is turning to deals like its agreement for Gulfstream that will juice earnings over the long haul.

EverBank Financial (EVER) in Jacksonville, Fla., reported higher second-quarter earnings and said it would shut its wholesale-mortgage business.