Georgia

Get a bunch of community bankers together and they start sharing efficiency ratios like golf scores. There seem to be more bogeys than holes in one these days in the course of cost-cutting.

Ameris Bancorp in Moultrie, Ga., plans to close 10 branches in an effort to save about $5 million a year in operating costs.

Webster Financial in Waterbury, Conn., has opened an Atlanta office to focus on asset-based lending in the southeastern U.S.

Atlantic Capital Bancshares in Atlanta plans to issue $50 million in subordinated debt to finance its acquisition of First Security Group in Tennessee.

State Bank Financial in Atlanta has reduced its workforce by consolidating several company departments, as it pivots away from failed-bank loss-share agreements and looks to acquire healthy banks.

Two community banks — Community Bankers Trust in Richmond, Va., and Charter Financial in West Point, Ga. — have reached early terminations of loss-share agreements with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Banks are seeing steady growth in consumer loan demand nationwide, particularly in auto loans and mortgages, according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve Board.

Foothills Community Bank in Dawsonville, Ga., has named John Lewis interim chief executive.

United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga., has filed a shelf registration for senior notes to help pay for its acquisition of a South Carolina bank.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported higher second-quarter income tied to a lower loan-loss provision.

PeoplesSouth Bank in Colquitt, Ga., has agreed to buy Cadence Bancorp's Florida Panhandle branch network.

CRIF Select, a division of CRIF Lending Solutions and provider of indirect lending solutions, announced expanded partnership agreements with five credit unions in New Mexico.

John Poelker recently stepped down from CertusHoldings in Greenville, S.C., but in less than a year on the job he broke up a $1.7 billion-asset company that had lost roughly $170 million from 2012 to 2014 amid investor claims of mismanagement and excessive spending by his predecessors. Here's a look at how he did it.

NCR in Duluth, Ga., may be a target for a possible takeover by private equity firms Blackstone Group and Carlyle Group.

SunTrust Banks in Atlanta has promoted its head of commercial specialty segments to corporate treasurer.

Atlantic Capital Bancshares in Atlanta has increased the portion of its common stock to be used in its pending $160 million acquisition of First Security Group in Chattanooga, Tenn.

STATESBORO, Ga. — CORE Credit Union announced Robert "Bob" Clampett has been named president and CEO of the $64-million institution here.

The $3.2 billion-asset company issued the notes, due 2030, on Friday on behalf of its Fidelity Bank subsidiary.

Fidelity Southern in Atlanta has agreed to buy the Florida branch network of First Banks Inc. of Clayton, Mo.

Hamilton State Bancshares in Hoschton, Ga., has agreed to acquire the $130 million-asset Highland Financial Services in Marietta, Ga.