Americas

The Buffalo, N.Y., company said that the $1.5 billion purchase created a bank with over $30 billion of assets and $18 billion of deposits in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York.

The Federal Reserve has terminated an enforcement action against Currie Bancorp of Minnesota. Currie, the parent of the $44.9 million-asset Currie State Bank, had been operating under a written agreement since November 2008.

A Texas woman suing a collection agency claims it threatened to garnish her to collect on a delinquent account.

The $17.5 billion-asset company's expertise with technology companies has fueled its growth in Asia, Europe, Israel and India. Next month it will make a big move into China, sending Ken Wilcox, its chief executive, to Shanghai to create a banking joint venture.

"The first quarter [pace] was a 33% payout," said Comerica CFO Beth Acton, in reference to dividend payments and stock buybacks. "Our goal is to get to a full-year payout of 50%."

The Federal Reserve and state regulators in New York and Florida last week issued a cease-and-desist order against Banco Industrial de Venezuela.

Mercantile Bank Corp. in Grand Rapids, Mich., returned to profitability in the first quarter after two years of losses.

Southwest Bancorp Inc. in Stillwater, Okla., on Tuesday reported a first-quarter profit despite a sharp rise in its loan-loss provision.

Sterling Bancshares Inc. in Houston reported a narrow loss Tuesday for what should be its last quarter before its sale to Comerica Inc.

First National Bank of the Gulf Coast in Naples, Fla., said it is raising $148 million in capital through a private placement.