Retail & Commercial

A wide swath of banks, from Fifth Third to SunTrust to Huntington, report big increases in refinance applications in the past few days as mortgage rates have dipped. Will it last?

The credit-card issuer expects its loss rates to rise significantly in 2015, in contrast with rivals that still regard the credit environment as benign.

Astoria Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., set out a few years ago to become more commercially focused by going after more multifamily and commercial real estate loans. The goal is for such loans to make up 50% and at the end of the third quarter they were 38%.

Republic Bancorp in Louisville, Ky., reported higher third-quarter profits, driven by a combination of organic loan growth and asset quality improvements.

Pinnacle Bancorp in Central City, Neb., has agreed to buy Home State Bank in Louisville, Neb.

Beneficial Mutual Bancorp in Philadelphia reported a nearly 50% increase in third-quarter net income led by the sale of nonperforming assets.

Huntington Bancshares says spend — it plans to expand its branch network next year — but SunTrust, BB&T and First Horizon are of a mind to keep cutting costs.

Earnings at Northwest Bancshares in Warren, Pa., dropped slightly compared with last year, as a reduced return from the bank's loan portfolio squeezed profits.

Mortgage lenders are threatening to halt lending on condominiums in Nevada after the state Supreme Court upheld a law allowing homeowners associations to foreclose ahead of first mortgage holders.

Third-quarter earnings at Fidelity Southern in Atlanta increased after it completed a recent acquisition in Florida.