Mississippi

With energy stocks enjoying the biggest rebound since the beginning of the oil rout, short sellers have shifted their sights to regional banks that do business with the industry.

Hancock Holding is warning of more pain in its energy portfolio as low prices continue to hamper oil and gas firms’ ability to repay their loans.

The former chief executive of a failed bank in Lincoln, Neb., was sentenced to 11 years in prison for forming a scheme to hide more than $100 million in losses from shareholders and regulators.

A dozen banks from Arkansas to Virginia are nearing $10 billion in assets, where they will face higher compliance costs and caps on interchange fees. Mergers among those institutions could create a new class of regional bank.

Hancock Holding in Gulfport, Miss., has nominated the chief financial officer for the city of Tampa, Fla., to join its board.

Sandhills State Bank in Bassett, Neb., has agreed to buy Bank of Keystone in Keystone, Neb.

Bank executives have faced relentless questions about their energy-sector exposure during fourth-quarter earnings calls this month, as oil has bobbed above and below $30 a barrel. They are taking more drastic actions to contain losses, but it still might not be enough.

The Mississippi bank hopes its settlement talks with the CFPB and Justice Department ultimately clear the way for it to complete acquisitions in Texas and Louisiana, but time is running short.

Trustmark in Jackson, Miss., reported lower quarterly profit after a decline in deposit service charges and mortgage banking offset loan growth and reduced expenses.

The collapse in oil prices hammered fourth-quarter profits at Hancock Holding as the Gulfport, Miss., sharply boosted its loan-loss provision address weakness in its energy loan book.

U.S. lawmakers called for federal investigations into Clayton Homes, the mobile-home business at Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, after the Seattle Times and BuzzFeed News wrote that the company targeted minority borrowers and charged them higher interest rates on average than whites.

First Express of Nebraska in Gering and First Wyoming Bancorp. in Laramie have agreed to merge. The companies did not disclose the price of the deal, which is expected to close by mid-2016.

BancorpSouth in Tupelo, Miss., has agreed to settle a lawsuit tied to how it determines overdraft fees on debit card and ATM transactions.

Hancock Holding in Gulfport, Miss., will increase its allowance for loan losses by $42 million to cover weakness in energy-related credits.

First Bancshares in Hattiesburg, Miss., has agreed to buy Mortgage Connection in Jackson, Miss.

Trustmark in Jackson, Miss., has named Granville Tate Jr. its top legal eagle.

Trustmark in Jackson, Miss., said its profit declined in the third quarter because of lower loan yields and higher expenses.

Renasant in Tupelo, Miss., has agreed to buy KeyWorth Bank in Johns Creek, Ga.

Madison County Financial in Madison, Neb., has bought a bank and insurance agency in Winside, Neb.

Hancock Holding in Gulfport, Miss., has agreed to buy a portfolio of health care loans from United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga.