Regulatory hurdles and reduced earnings forecasts may sour PE's view of bank investment.

The nation's attorneys general, the Department of Justice, and HUD are "very close" to finalizing a legal settlement to settle 'robosigning' allegations levied against the nation's dozen or so top ranked servicers, HUD secretary Shaun Donovan said Wednesday morning.

PacWest Bancorp in Los Angeles reported higher quarterly earnings Wednesday after recouping more covered losses from its failed-bank acquisitions.

Malvern Federal Bancorp Inc.'s stock price soared to its highest level since mid-summer Wednesday after the Paoli, Pa., company announced that it is converting from a mutual holding company to a 100% stock-owned company.

Western Liberty Bancorp in Las Vegas has established a new nonbank subsidiary to house problem assets of its bank subsidiary in a move it says will help it more quickly dispose of the troubled loans and improve its overall efficiency.

Provident New York Bancorp in Montebello said Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire Gotham Bank of New York for roughly $40.5 million in cash.

Select Bank & Trust Co. in Greenville, N.C., said Tuesday that it has completed its acquisition of Gibsonville Community Bank from Bank of Atlanta.

Pulaski Financial Corp. in St. Louis said Tuesday that profits in its fiscal-year first quarter fell 3% from a year earlier, to $3 million, due to a slowdown in mortgage activity.

Landmark Bancorp Inc. in Manhattan, Kan., is buying Wellsville Bancshares Inc. in what would be its first bank acquisition in more than six years.

Weakened growth prospects and more regulatory hoops could prompt private equity firms to unload bank holdings.

Target Corp. said it will again suspend its efforts to sell its credit-card receivables portfolio until later this year and outlined plans to pay JPMorgan Chase & Co. about $2.8 billion, along with a make-whole premium, to retire financing it received in 2008.

Amex is licensing its digital wallet to Lianlian Group to expand its reach into the coveted Chinese market. Lianlian operates its own mobile payment business, Lianlian Pay, in China.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit slid 42% as the lender struggled with a decline in revenue and steep one-time charges, although credit costs continued to fall.

U.S. Bancorp's fourth-quarter earnings jumped 39% as the lender again reduced funds set aside to cover potentially risky loans and benefited from growth in lending.

IMGCAP(1)]

BancorpSouth Inc. in Tupelo, Miss., on Tuesday reported better-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter and hopes to parlay the good news into a successful capital-raising effort.

IMGCAP(1)]

MANFIELD, Texas – Texas Trust CU is opening a new branch in Grand Prairie in a building formerly occupied by Wachovia, a now defunct bank.

Prepaid card provider nFinanSe Inc. has asked the U.S. District Court in Atlanta to stop InComm Inc. from operating its new Vanilla Reload Network.

Fulton Financial Corp. said its fourth-quarter profit rose from a year ago as it reduced nonperforming loans, but that its earnings per share missed analysts' estimates by two cents as net interest income shrunk.