Americas

Regulators have pressed banks to watch out for rising concentrations of commercial real estate loans. Some banks have paid heed, but others are skyrocketing past recommended thresholds.

Malvern Bancorp in Paoli, Pa., is planning to open a commercial lending office in a new market.

Bay Banks of Virginia in Kilmarnock has agreed to buy Virginia BanCorp in Petersburg.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., which reported a third-quarter loss tied to credit issues, has elevated two lending officers to executive-level posts.

Heartland Financial in Dubuque, Iowa, is looking to raise $53.5 million through a public offering.

The former chairman of the failed Premier Bank in Wilmette, Ill., was sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to defrauding the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Cathay General Bancorp in Los Angeles has agreed to a community reinvestment plan tied to its deal to buy SinoPac Bancorp from Bank SinoPac in Taiwan.

BNC Bancorp in High Point, N.C., has rebranded its banking unit to reflect its expansion beyond the Tarheel State. The $7.5 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Bank of North Carolina is now BNC Bank.

SunTrust Banks in Atlanta has agreed to open almost 200 new locations of Operation Hope's financial-counseling centers inside its branches by 2020.

OptimumBank Holdings in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has appointed a former Florida credit union CEO, John H. Clifford, to its board.