Americas

WASHINGTON — Questions are being raised about whether Senate Banking Committee leaders will delay a pending vote on their mortgage finance reform bill as they struggle to secure additional votes.

Heritage Bancorp in Pearland, Texas, has agreed to buy Nixon State Bank in Nixon, Texas.

CB Financial Services (CBFV) in Carmichaels, Pa., has agreed to buy FedFirst Financial (FFCO) in Monessen, Pa.

Joseph Stilwell used a photo of the then-chairman of Harvard Illinois snoozing at last year's annual meeting as part of his fight for representation on the board. Harvard's board accused Stilwell of waging his battle "in the gutter."

The company, which was an active acquirer before the financial crisis, has returned to its roots after a long hiatus brought on by the downturn and integration problems. Archie Brown, who became CEO in 2008, says the company is taking a more disciplined approach this time.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. — CO-OP Financial Services announced today that it delivered a shareholder dividend of $30.5 million for fiscal year 2013, a 17% increase from the previous year.

J.P. Morgan has partnered with ProQuest, a cloud-based data management technology provider in Ann Arbor, Mich., to make J.P. Morgan's company and economic research data available to business students, academics and other researchers.

First Mariner's holding company, First Mariner Bancorp (FMAR), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February as part of a $100 million recapitalization plan.

BETHALTO, Ill. — Laclede Community Credit Union and 1st MidAmerica CU have agreed to merge.

M&T Bank (MTB) in Buffalo reported lower earnings in the first quarter as customer activity dwindled in the first two months of 2014 and costs associated with regulatory requirements grew.