MB Financial in Chicago said its first-quarter profit rose 15.6% from a year earlier as fee income rose and expenses fell.

After another disappointing quarter, Comerica is promising big changes in its ongoing quest to improve returns to shareholders. It appears to be considering all options, including selling off business lines and perhaps even merging with another institution.

Sometimes boards have to police their own, as an insider-trading case involving a Pinnacle Financial director shows. The risks are especially high when banks enter confidential merger talks.

Middleburg Financial in Middleburg, Va., is facing pressure from its biggest shareholder to find a buyer.

Several small and midsize banks generated large year-over-year loan growth despite a belief by some outsiders that a slowdown was looming. Bankers may have to spend coming months assuring investors that they can keep booking loans while adequately managing risk.

Revenue at Webster Financial in Waterbury, Conn., hit a record $240.6 million in the first quarter, but expenses related to its expansion in Boston and an uptick in net chargeoffs kept profits flat.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported lower quarterly earnings as salaries and personnel expenses increased.

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., in the first quarter reaped the benefits of several M&A deals that it completed last year.

Porter Bancorp in Louisville, Ky., used part of $5 million it raised in a private placement to become current on interest payments on some debt holdings.

William Penn Bancorp in Levittown, Pa., is facing pressure from an activist to conduct a mutual conversion.

M&T is squeezing savings out of its newly purchased Hudson City Bancorp after fighting long and hard for regulatory approval. But it's also taking steps to keep Hudson City's customers from leaving, like offering higher rates on CDs in the New Jersey area.

Since replacing Kevin Kabat in November, Greg Carmichael has said that the Cincinnati company needs to invest more heavily in technology and compliance now in order to boost profits and improve efficiency down the road. But investors worry that expenses will grow faster than revenues and further squeeze margins.

Peoples Bancorp in Prairie Du Chien, Wis., has agreed to buy four branches in Wisconsin from FirstMerit.

Sequatchie Valley Bancshares in Dunlap, Tenn., has agreed to buy Franklin County United Bancshares in Decherd, Tenn.

M&T Bank in Buffalo, N.Y., for the first time was able to report a full-quarter impact from its acquisition of Hudson City Bancorp, which took about three and a half years to complete because of regulatory challenges.

Citigroup's nearly half-billion-dollar outlay for restructuring costs could prove tremendously beneficial, but a lot of work has to be done and it still has to produce more revenue growth in the future.

Investors are quickly choosing sides in a proxy battle at Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y.

The Memphis, Tenn., company's forecast for the remainder of the year calls for cost saves from a branch-reduction effort that's gaining momentum as online and mobile banking grow and monthly visits to branches plummet.

Meridian Bank in Malvern, Pa., has raised $13.8 million through a sale of common stock.

Severn Bancorp in Annapolis, Md., has agreements in place to raise $11 million through a private placement of common stock.