Retail & Commercial

Stephen Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, played up its efforts to manage asset yields and control funding costs after investors took a dim view of its narrower net interest margin.

First Financial Bankshares (FFIN) in Abilene, Texas, said Thursday that it is consolidating all of its bank charters in an effort to cut expenses and boost profits.

Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC) in Green Bay, Wis., reported that its third-quarter income increased 32% from a year earlier, to $45 million.

Penns Woods Bancorp (PWOD) agreed to acquire Luzerne National Bank (LUZR) in Luzerne, Pa.

Buoyed by strong revenue growth in its credit card operations, Capital One Financial Corp. (COF) said Thursday that its third-quarter earnings rose 48% from the same period last year, to $1.2 billion.

Pinnacle, the flagship bank unit of the $6.7 billion-asset Pinnacle Bancorp, agreed last Thursday to buy the $183 million-asset First State Bank of Joplin in Missouri. A day later, the bank announced plans to buy the $139 million-asset Hastings State Bank in Nebraska.

Faced with anemic demand for construction and real estate loans, community banks are continuing to find that the best way to expand in the much-desired commercial-and-industrial space is to raid bigger rivals.

Kelly King, the North Carolina company's CEO, vowed to remain conservative while scouting out opportunities in multifamily and office development.

Officials say servicing problems for service members with student loans are comparable to issues facing mortgage borrowers in the military.

Though Huntington, Fifth Third Bancorp and KeyCorp all reported relatively strong earnings, organic loan growth weakened amid continued uncertainty about the direction of the economy.