The country's largest banks are counting on mobile technology to help them keep customers, win new business and — especially at Citigroup and Bank of America — replace branches.

Prosperity Bancshares (PB) in Houston ended a year in which it completed five deals and announced another with a jump in profit.

Sterling Financial (STSA) in Spokane, Wash., fell short of fourth-quarter earnings expectations because of a hefty charge for early repayment of debt.

Stimulus spending and Obamacare are making health care a viable way for banks to diversify their loan portfolios.

Iberiabank (IBKC) in Lafayette, La., reported a jump in fourth-quarter profit thanks to higher fee income and lower interest expenses.

Some banks have money to spend on deals. But many buyers are busy digesting past deals or wary about tight margins and the economy, executives said in fourth-quarter earnings calls.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., has reshuffled its mix of branch office locations, as it enters Arizona and expands in the greater Los Angeles and Seattle areas.

Citigroup (C) is combining its leveraged finance origination and syndication businesses in the U.S., according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock, Ark., is raising its profile in North Carolina. The $4 billion-asset company announced Friday it is buying The First National Bank of Shelby in Shelby, N.C., for roughly $67.8 million in cash and stock.

Trustmark (TRMK) has received approval from regulators to buy BancTrust Financial Group in Mobile, Ala. The Jackson, Miss., company had waited months for approval to by BancTrust Financial Group (BTFG).

Citigroup has paused its sweeping cost-cutting program long enough to open a handful of U.S. branches.

Toronto-Dominion Bank, Canada's second-largest lender, is targeting wholesale banking in the U.S. after spending nine years building a network of retail branches from Maine to Florida.

First Horizon National (FHN) of Memphis, Tenn., is raising capital by issuing preferred stock. The parent of $25.5 billion-asset First Tennessee Bank announced Thursday an offering of depositary shares representing a fractional stake in its newly issued preferred stock.

Greek mythology. Steve Martin movies. Clever use of the word "compost." CEO Ed Wehmer uses whatever he can to make his points to analysts.

Cost-cutting is ahead of schedule at KeyCorp, CEO Beth Mooney said. But analysts asked whether the Cleveland bank is doing enough.

TD Bank has turned a huge campus in Greenville, S.C., that it inherited from South Financial into a showpiece and home for several business units.

Philip Wenger believes Fulton Financial is well-positioned to court small businesses and consumers, though he is open to acquisitions to help the Pennsylvania company expand.

Royal Bank of Canada isn't giving up on U.S. consumer banking even after Canada's largest lender took a $1.57 billion writedown on the sale of its money-losing U.S. bank.

Wells Fargo is expanding its staff in Georgia by about 3%.

Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles reported strong quarterly results Thursday as it continues to explore a possible sale or merger.