Washington

United Bankshares is in talks to acquire rival Washington-area lender Cardinal Financial, according to people familiar with the matter, as regional banks seek to pair up to counter low interest rates and mounting regulatory costs.

Old Dominion National Bank in McLean, Va., has hired Stephanie Lykins-Harvey, formerly of Cardinal Bank in McLean, as director of retail banking.

Four years after the first states legalized marijuana, most bankers still want nothing to do with it.

Columbia Banking System in Tacoma, Wash., reported higher quarterly profits that reflected increased lending.

Brent Beardall, who has been with Washington Federal since 2001, was named president of the $14.8 billion-asset company and its primary banking unit and retains his job as chief banking officer.

Banner Corp. in Walla Walla, Wash., reported higher quarterly earnings as it continued to benefit from a recent acquisition.

Anchor Bancorp in Lacey, Wash., which has been facing pressure from a prominent activist investor to sell itself, has hired an investment bank to explore strategic options.

Executives at several minority-owned community banks nationwide, including OneUnited Bank in Boston and Carver Federal Savings Bank in New York, say they have received a windfall of deposits in recent weeks, coinciding with the introduction of the Black Money Matters Project.

The $25 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that BankUnited Small Business Finance is now making loans in Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin.

A couple of years ago, the activist investor Joseph Stilwell said Anchor Bancorp in Lacey, Wash., deserved more time to try to right itself. Apparently he thinks that time is up.

WASHINGTON — Marijuana businesses and banks looking to open their doors to the potentially lucrative clients suffered a blow Wednesday after House Republicans blocked an amendment that would have prevented federal regulators from pursuing enforcement actions against banks dealing with the businesses in states with legalized pot.

WASHINGTON — Banks in states with legal marijuana businesses may warm up to them as customers if an amendment to a Senate appropriations bill becomes law.

Delinquencies on non-owner-occupied commercial real estate loans ticked up in the first quarter after years of steady declines. Some are shrugging off the increase, saying it was expected given the strong demand for CRE loans, but others say there's good reason to be concerned.

HomeStreet in Seattle has agreed to buy most of the assets and deposits of Bank of Oswego, including the Lake Oswego, Ore., bank's branches.

National Capital Bank of Washington has a named Richard Anderson its new president and chief executive.

Christopher Cline, a former Wells Fargo executive, has joined the management of a community bank in Vancouver, Wash., to help it build up its wealth management business.

Pacific Continental in Eugene, Ore., has agreed to buy Foundation Bancorp in Bellevue, Wash.

Cascade Bancorp in Bend, Ore., has agreed to buy Prime Pacific Financial Services in Lynwood, Wash.

Washington Federal in Seattle said its profit rose 3.4% to $41.7 million in the three months that ended March 31 as loan growth outweighed higher information technology costs.

Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., plans to close 26 branches in Oregon, California, Idaho and Washington state in an effort to cut costs.