New Jersey

Malvern Bancorp in Paoli, Pa., has named Howard Kent chairman of the company and of the $727 million-asset Malvern Federal Savings Bank.

Lakeland Bancorp in Oak Ridge, N.J., has agreed to buy Harmony Bank in Jackson, N.J.

PL Capital is raising money for a new fund that'll target banks with up to $75 billion of assets, after 20 years of sticking to just community banks with less than $3 billion of assets. In this Q&A, Richard Lashley explains why activist investors are eyeing bigger banks now and how banks can avoid his kind.

Fourth-quarter profit improved at Investors Bancorp, as the Short Hills, N.J., company originated more multifamily, business and commercial real estate loans

Earnings at Valley National Bancorp in Wayne, N.J., fell significantly in the fourth quarter, largely because of costs to pay off debt.

Sun Bancorp in Mount Laurel, N.J., has agreed to pay $25,000 to resolve issues connected to the company’s former Sun Home Loans division.

ASB Bancorp in Asheville, N.C., has agreed to appoint to its board the activist investor Lawrence Seidman and another representative picked by Seidman.

Anthony Weagley is combining a new emphasis on wealth management with Malvern's reputation as a small-town community bank to bolster the Pennsylvania company's financial performance.

Valley National Bank in Wayne, N.J., has a new chief administrative officer.

OceanFirst Financial in Toms River, N.J., has agreed to buy Cape Bancorp in Cape May Court House, N.J.

Thomas O'Brien made good on a 2015 promise to turn a profit in every quarter. This year, his goal is to stay profitable to earn back a deferred-tax asset that should meaningfully increase the New Jersey company's valuation.

Three banks have redeemed shares of preferred stock to make their exits from the Small Business Lending Fund.

Investors Bancorp in Short Hills, N.J., has hired a former Capital One Financial executive to head its enterprise risk management team.

Eagle Bancorp in Bethesda, Md., has added equipment leasing to its lineup of commercial banking products.

The board of Pascack Bancorp in Waldrick, N.J., spent years debating whether to sell the company or remain independent.

NexBank in Dallas has bought College Savings Bank in Princeton, N.J.

People’s United Financial in Bridgeport, Conn., has dismissed three employees in the wake of alleged fraud on commercial real estate loans.

M&T Bank has begun dismissing former Hudson City Savings Bank workers in New Jersey, following the completion of its acquisition of the company.

CIT Group, the commercial lender that’s expanded into retail banking, posted profit that beat analysts’ estimates as loans and deposits increased with the acquisition of OneWest Bank Group.

Investors Bancorp in Short Hills, N.J., posted higher profit in the third quarter, with strong interest income growth offsetting higher employee-related costs.