Americas

Unfavorable equity markets and lower transaction volumes led Northern Trust Corp. to report a 2% drop in fourth-quarter profit.

JPMorgan Chase will provide $75 million for the creation of a career and technical education program to address youth unemployment.

Fulton Financial in Lancaster, Pa., reported a slight increase in its fourth-quarter profit as strong fee-income growth helped to offset a decline in its net interest margin.

Wintrust Financial's fourth-quarter earnings fell 7% from a year earlier, to $35.5 million, as a revenue surge failed to offset the higher costs associated with recent acquisitions.

Management has also been allocating more resources to other markets to add loans and boost fee income in businesses such as card services and wealth management. Such moves are designed to offset fallout from an energy book that shrunk by 14% last year.

Legal costs and a tax credit impairment during the fourth quarter at First Horizon National in Memphis, Tenn., offset loan growth and a rise in fee income.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported a higher fourth-quarter profit on stronger interest and fee income.

Costs associated with M&T Bank's successful but prolonged effort to buy Hudson City Bancorp pushed the Buffalo, N.Y., company's fourth-quarter profit lower.

TotalBank in Miami said it has promoted Jay Pelham to president, succeeding Luis de la Aguilera, who left the company in December to lead U.S. Century Bank in Doral, Fla.

Mackinac Financial in Manistique, Mich., has agreed to buy First National Bank of Eagle River in Wisconsin.