Americas

Norwood Financial Corp. in Honesdale, Pa., said late Wednesday that its pending acquisition of North Penn Bancorp Inc. reduced its profitability.

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. in Buffalo, N.Y., reported a slight dip in earnings compared with the previous quarter as it completed its acquisition of NewAlliance Bancshares Inc.

The $4.41 billion-asset company said Thursday that shareholders had approved adding Allison Nickle Egidi, Najeeb Khan and Christopher Murphy to the board.

Sandy Spring Bancorp Inc. in Olney, Md., on Thursday reported an increase in profit due to its exit from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Republic Bancorp Inc. in Louisville, Ky., reported higher first-quarter profit despite lower volume in its controversial refund-anticipation loan business.

Whitney Holding Corp. in New Orleans reported a profitable first quarter on Thursday, a day after the company that is buying it did the same.

Fulton Financial Corp. in Lancaster, Pa., attributed its improved first-quarter earnings partly to better cost control. The $16 billion-asset company posted a 22.9% increase in profit from a year earlier, to $33.8 million.

Hancock Holding Co. in Gulfport, Miss., said its earnings rose 11% from a year earlier. The $8.31 billion-asset company posted earnings of $15.3 million, compared with $13.8 million a year earlier.

Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve issued a prompt corrective action directive giving the bank 60 days to become adequately capitalized by raising capital or selling itself.

Brookline Bancorp in Massachusetts will pay $234 million in cash and stock for Bancorp Rhode Island in a transaction that will create a company with nearly $5 billion in assets.