Illinois

Wells Fargo, the world’s largest bank by market value, agreed to buy the bulk of a railcar- and locomotive-leasing unit from General Electric as the industrial giant retreats from financial services.

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.

Centrue Financial in Ottawa, Ill., plans to sell 4.8 million shares on behalf of stockholders. The shares would be worth $77 million based on the most recent price of $16 per share.

First Midwest Bancorp in Itasca, Ill., has agreed to buy Peoples' Bank of Arlington Heights in Illinois.

IF Bancorp in Watseka, Ill., has named Linda Hamilton chief operating officer.

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.

Union Federal Savings & Loan Association and First Federal Savings & Loan Association, two mutuals in Kewanee, Ill., have agreed to merge.

Algonquin State Bank in Illinois has promoted several employees in a revamping of executive management.

Market Street Bancshares in Mount Vernon, Ill., has completed a $15 million debt offering.

AJS Bancorp in Midlothian, Ill., has hired a replacement for its chief financial officer, who resigned earlier this month.