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Fulton Financial Corp. in Lancaster, Pa., attributed its improved first-quarter earnings partly to better cost control. The $16 billion-asset company posted a 22.9% increase in profit from a year earlier, to $33.8 million.

Hancock Holding Co. in Gulfport, Miss., said its earnings rose 11% from a year earlier. The $8.31 billion-asset company posted earnings of $15.3 million, compared with $13.8 million a year earlier.

Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve issued a prompt corrective action directive giving the bank 60 days to become adequately capitalized by raising capital or selling itself.

Brookline Bancorp in Massachusetts will pay $234 million in cash and stock for Bancorp Rhode Island in a transaction that will create a company with nearly $5 billion in assets.

The Buffalo, N.Y., company said that the $1.5 billion purchase created a bank with over $30 billion of assets and $18 billion of deposits in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York.

The Federal Reserve has terminated an enforcement action against Currie Bancorp of Minnesota. Currie, the parent of the $44.9 million-asset Currie State Bank, had been operating under a written agreement since November 2008.

A Texas woman suing a collection agency claims it threatened to garnish her to collect on a delinquent account.

The $17.5 billion-asset company's expertise with technology companies has fueled its growth in Asia, Europe, Israel and India. Next month it will make a big move into China, sending Ken Wilcox, its chief executive, to Shanghai to create a banking joint venture.

"The first quarter [pace] was a 33% payout," said Comerica CFO Beth Acton, in reference to dividend payments and stock buybacks. "Our goal is to get to a full-year payout of 50%."

The Federal Reserve and state regulators in New York and Florida last week issued a cease-and-desist order against Banco Industrial de Venezuela.

Mercantile Bank Corp. in Grand Rapids, Mich., returned to profitability in the first quarter after two years of losses.

Southwest Bancorp Inc. in Stillwater, Okla., on Tuesday reported a first-quarter profit despite a sharp rise in its loan-loss provision.

Sterling Bancshares Inc. in Houston reported a narrow loss Tuesday for what should be its last quarter before its sale to Comerica Inc.

First National Bank of the Gulf Coast in Naples, Fla., said it is raising $148 million in capital through a private placement.

Commerce National Bank in Newport Beach Calif., on Monday posted a first-quarter profit that it credited largely to balance sheet growth.

Chemical Financial Corp. in Midland, Mich., said an acquisition helped its first-quarter earnings were more than triple from a year earlier.

Community National Bank in Great Neck, N.Y., said improved net interest income was instrumental in its posting a first-quarter profit of $623,000, compared with a $134,000 profit a year earlier.

Bank of Hawaii Corp. in Honolulu said Monday that its first-quarter earnings rose 4.4% from a year earlier, to $42.4 million.

The concept of bankruptcy as a surefire step toward recapitalization isn't always so surefire. Take the case of Nexity Bank.

Six banks in four states met their demise and two new banks were chartered in their ashes in perhaps the busiest night the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has had so far in 2011.