Americas

The insurance unit of BancorpSouth (BXS) has agreed to buy the assets of Securance Group, an insurance agency in Brewton, Ala.

Struggling First Place Financial (FPFC) in Warren, Ohio, has turned to longtime banking executive Louis Dunham to help lead its recovery.

Kearny Financial (KRNY) of Fairfield, N.J., has decided to skip its next quarterly dividend payment despite a proposal from the Federal Reserve Board that would prohibit thrift holding companies from missing dividend payments.

USAmeriBank of Largo, Fla., has purchased a building in Tampa, Fla., where it intends to open a new branch and staff it with 25 new hires.

Ixonia Bancshares in Milwaukee has raised $21 million in fresh capital, including $16.5 million from a wealthy family that also owns a stake in the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club.

A federal appeals court has denied Republic Bancorp's bid to recover $14 million it lost on securities investments because it believes the Louisville, Ky., company should have been aware of the risks it was taking.

When HSBC sold its branches in upstate New York, it created a big change with dozens of branches changing hands. Once the signs are changed, a number of community banks and regionals will have to work hard to keep business in those branches.

The Federal Reserve Board has entered into written agreements with two companies requiring them to serve as sources of strength for their banks.

Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP) in Nashville has repaid the remaining $71.6 million of the $95 million it received from the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program in December 2008.

Palmetto Bancshares in Greenville, S.C., is shedding more than $40 million of problem loans as part of its ongoing effort to clean up its balance sheet and return to profitability.