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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The NCUA Board this morning approved the proposed merger of Tennessee's Volunteer Corporate CU with West Virginia Corporate CU, accelerating the pace of the corporate restructuring.

Valley National Bancorp in Wayne, N.J., announced that fourth quarter earnings fell after several special charges.

Sterling Financial Corp. in Spokane, Wash., returned to the black for the year as credit quality improved.

The Ithaca, N.Y., bank has been scouting for deals and said Thursday it has agreed to buy VIST Financial in southeastern Pennsylvania for $86 million in stock.

United Community Banks Inc. of Blairsville, Ga. is back in the black — again.

Suffolk Bancorp in Riverhead, N.Y., said late Wednesday that it has a new accounting firm.

Astoria Financial Corp. in Lake Success, N.Y., said late Wednesday that its fourth-quarter profits fell 50% from a year earlier, to $11.8 million, because of decreases in average interest-earning assets.

Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. in Lititz, Pa., reported Wednesday that its fourth-quarter earnings nearly doubled from a year earlier, to $19.1 million, on improvements in areas such as lending, fee income and a reduction of problem assets.

John Keach Jr., the chairman and CEO of Indiana Community Bancorp, which agreed to sell to a rival this week, speaks for many bankers in ticking off the threats to going it alone as a community bank — and explains why his bank decided it had to get out now.

Buoyed by a lower loan-loss provision, Lakeland Financial Corp. in Warsaw, Ind., said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter profits rose 43% from a year earlier, to $8.3 million.

Umpqua Holdings Corp. in Portland, Ore., said late Wednesday that its fourth-quarter profit was nearly triple that of a year earlier, due largely to improved asset quality.

S.Y. Bancorp Inc. in Louisville, Ky., reported Wednesday that its fourth-quarter profits climbed 5% from a year earlier, to $6.3 million, because of tax adjustments.

Tompkins Financial Corp. in Ithaca, N.Y., reported higher quarterly and annual earnings on Wednesday despite mounting pressure in its net interest margin.

Popular Inc.'s management deemed 2011 a "turnaround" year as the San Juan, Puerto Rico, while projecting an even better 2012.

Bank of the James Financial Group Inc. in Lynchburg, Va., said that its common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market exchange on Wednesday.

First Midwest Bancorp Inc. in Itasca, Ill., swung to a profit in the fourth-quarter, after losing more than $30 million a year earlier.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc. in San Antonio said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose 4% from a year earlier, due to improvements in credit quality and earning assets.

New York Community Bancorp Inc. in Westbury, N.Y., reported Wednesday that fourth-quarter profits fell more than 21% from a year earlier, to $117.7 million, due largely to a decline in noninterest income.

UMB Financial Corp. in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday reported $23.3 million in fourth-quarter profits, up 22% from a year earlier but falling short of expectations.

BankUnited Inc., which last week confirmed a short-lived effort to sell itself, said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose nearly 50% from a year earlier, to $41 million.