Retail & Commercial

Disagreements between Democrats and Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee over a GOP-backed housing plan offered a sharp contrast with bipartisan efforts in the Senate.

Steven Eckhaus, a prominent compensation adviser to senior bankers, has found a new home at the law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.

Americans are projected to owe the federal government $1 trillion in student loan debt as the growth rate soars ahead of credit card debt.

Capital One Financial Corp., the lender that gets more than half its revenue from credit cards, posted a second-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates as a boost in U.S. consumer confidence helped fuel spending.

People's United Financial (PBCT) in Bridgeport, Conn., reported a profit of $62.1 million in the quarter that ended June 30, down 3.8% from the same period last year, but up 18.2% from three months earlier.

Profits at Republic Bancorp (RBCAA) fell in the second quarter as the Louisville, Ky., company continues to suffer from the loss of its lucrative tax-refund anticipation loan program.

Astoria Financial (AF) in Lake Success, N.Y., reported strong second-quarter results thanks to a decline in expenses and improving credit quality.

Fifth Third, Huntington and KeyCorp all meet or beat earnings estimates, but in conference calls with analysts Thursday their executives were cautious about their growth prospects for the second half of the year.

Deposit costs lagged short-term interest rates on the way up and the way down during the last cycle. A relatively large representation of long-term certificates of deposits could help as rates rise.

First Republic Bank's shares surged Thursday after the San Francisco lender reported a 16% rise in quarterly profit, driven by investment-advisor revenue.