Retail & Commercial

City National Bank in Los Angeles said Thursday that its first-quarter profit climbed 14% from the same period last year, fueled by a surge in real estate construction and commercial lending.

Capital One Financial's earnings fell slightly in the first quarter when compared to a year earlier, as rising expenses outpaced revenue gains.

Columbia Banking System in Tacoma, Wash., tapped organic growth and its purchase of Intermountain Community Bancorp to post higher quarterly profit.

Heritage Commerce in San Jose, Calif., has agreed to buy Focus Business Bank. The $1.7 billion-asset Heritage Commerce will pay about $55 million for the $391 million-asset Focus, which is also based in San Jose.

Demographic, cultural and technological changes will reshape customer service in the mortgage business over the next 30 years, a Wells Fargo executive said.

The growth-minded regional bank is biding its time until rates rise and its M&A deals close by slowing riskier types of lending and diversifying its income sources.

F.N.B. in Pittsburgh reported higher first-quarter profit on higher fee income and enhanced results from two acquisitions.

Regulators recently penalized a mortgage firm for keeping a file of licensing-test questions to prep exam takers, the first public challenge to what is believed to be a hushed, but longtime, industry practice.

Astoria Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., topped Wall Street expectations despite a drop in revenue. The $15.5 billion-asset company reported a 39% decrease in net income from a year earlier, to $19.3 million.

Convergent Revenue Cycle Management Inc., a national healthcare revenue cycle management provider, has announced that Mark Schanck has been promoted to company president.