Christopher Whalen at Tangent Capital is concerned about a component of the initial public offering that lets some existing investors sell their stock.

First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) in Cincinnati is planning to close 10 of its branches in a move it says will reduce its annual overhead by about $2.3 million.

The 31 banks that disclosed their sales price in 2012 fetched a median price equal to 116% of their tangible book, up from a median price of 94% of tangible book in the fourth quarter and 108% a year earlier, SNL said.

As it expands its U.S. branches, Toronto-Dominion is hoping to sell more products to existing customers and to emulate its cross-selling success in its home country of Canada.

Proxy advisory firms want shareholders to reject compensation plans at three banks' meetings the week of April 29: Sterling Bancorp, Sandy Spring Bancorp and Orrstown Financial. Investors have voted against pay at a handful of banks this year, but these meetings could show if a trend is brewing.

UnionBanCal reported that first-quarter net income totaled $195 million, down 17% from a year earlier, as fee income declined and it recorded a smaller gain from the reversal of its provision for credit losses.

Prosperity Bancshares in Houston reported first quarter earnings of $36.5 million, up 7.7% from a year earlier as net interest income increased and already low credit costs fell further.

Thinly traded First Trust Bank was a popular stock with investors early Friday after rumors circulated that the Charlotte community bank could soon be acquired.

Investors Bancorp (ISBC) in Short Hills, N.J., reported a profit of $18.9 million in the quarter that ended March 31, up about 4% from the same period last year, as an acquisition and continued organic growth helped boost earning assets.

Hancock Holding's (HBHC) shares tumbled Friday morning after the Gulfport, Miss., company reported that its first-quarter earnings fell short of expectations as its allowance for loan losses rose.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has extended the comment period until June 29 for its public inquiry into overdraft practices.

Calling it a "milestone in its global growth," Silicon Valley Bank announced late Thursday that it has received permission from British banking authorities to open a full-service banking office in London.

The deal would give Wells an entrée into prime brokerage and continues its niche M&A strategy.

Citigroup Inc. said Friday it tapped Tatsuo Tanaka, deputy president of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., as chairman of Citigroup Japan Holdings.

Buoyed by growth in the number of active cards, Green Dot reported first-quarter earnings of $17.1 million, up 35% from the same period a year earlier.

Citizens Republic Bancorp (CRBC) in Flint, Mich., reported its fourth-straight quarterly Thursday profit as loan quality continued to improve and a surge of new deposits helped generate fresh income from investment securities.

The investment bank FBR & Co. (FBRC) announced Thursday that longtime Chairman Eric F. Billings will step down in June and that he will be replaced by the firm's president and chief executive, Richard J. Hendrix.

He will succeed Edgar Ancona, who is retiring after 18 years with the company, at the end of June.

As revenue growth diminishes, more community banks are looking to expand their wealth management and trust operations. A number of them, including Iberiabank and Wintrust, are turning to acquisitions for growth.

Texas Capital Bancshares' (TCBI) stock zoomed to an all-time high Thursday after the Dallas company handily beat first-quarter earnings projections and the investment firm Sterne Agee & Leach upgraded its shares from neutral to buy.