Banking

Earnings at National Penn Bancshares in Allentown, Pa., rose slightly in the third quarter as the company expanded its loan portfolio and and lowered expenses.

Hancock Holding in Gulfport, Miss., reported a sharp rise in third-quarter profit, reflecting efforts to cut costs.

Instead of trying to stop companies from offering payday loans and check cashing services to lower-income households, we should encourage more competitors — including banks — to enter this space.

First Niagara Financial Group in Buffalo, N.Y., reported a massive quarterly loss that had a number of large writedowns.

City National in Los Angeles reported higher third-quarter earnings, due to a sharp rise in trust and brokerage revenue.

Bank of New York Mellon has named James Wiener chief risk officer. His appointment at the $337 billion-asset bank takes effect Nov. 24.

BSB Bancorp in Belmont, Mass., reported that its third-quarter earnings more than doubled from a year earlier on higher net interest income.

Most of the securitized single-family market is currently exempt, but only a tiny part of the commercial equivalent is. However, nonexempt commercial will get more expensive to issue, and the single-family exemption could change.

The Wells Fargo Digital Lab, which opened in late September, offers a glimpse of what banking could look like in years to come.

City Holding in Charleston, W.Va., reported lower quarterly earnings.

Metro Bank of Harrisburg, Pa., which is facing a challenge from an activist investor, posted higher quarterly earnings.

The Fed's hotly-anticipated road map outlining plans to speed up the U.S. payment system will call for the creation of several industry-led task forces and recommend building a new infrastructure to facilitate real-time payments.

CVB Financial in Ontario, Calif., reported a slight uptick in third-quarter earnings after loans and expenses increased from its acquisition of American Security Bank.

Sun Bancorp in Mount Laurel, N.J. reported a quarterly loss as it continues to shrink its balance sheet.

A U.S. district court in Miami has temporarily shut down a fraudulent debt collection operation that deceived thousands of Spanish-speaking consumers nationwide and attempted to collect money they didn't owe.

Peapack-Gladstone Financial in Bedminster, N.J., could raise up to $50 million by selling stock.

Bank United in Miami Lakes, Fla., reported lower quarterly profit as declining yields offset a rapidly expanding loan portfolio.

Auto loans in Canada have quadrupled since 2007, putting lenders including Toronto-Dominion Bank and Royal Bank of Canada at bigger risk of losses in an economic slump, Moody's Investors Service said.

State Bank Financial in Atlanta more than doubled quarterly earnings on gains from acquisitions and noninterest income.

United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga., reported higher quarterly profit that benefited from loan growth and a stable net interest margin.