Comerica is generating enough loan growth in its key markets that it is under no pressure to expand through acquisitions, Chairman and Chief Executive Ralph Babb says.

Community banks spent $250 million and more than 8 million hours on regulation implemented during the first quarter, a recent study found.

Tompkins Financial (TMP) in Ithaca, N.Y., has hired an executive from National Penn Bancshares (NPBC) to run its bank in southeast Pennsylvania.

Quarterly profit fell at Westamerica Bancorp. (WABC) in San Rafael, Calif., as interest and fee income declined.

Bank of the West's Andy Harmening says there needs to be more conversation to determine the future of the big banks and whether they should be broken up. Harmening, a senior executive vice president and regional banking group head, spoke to American Banker at the annual Best Practices in Retail Banking Symposium.

A strengthening housing market lifted Washington Federal (WAFD) in Seattle in the first quarter.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg said regulators are homing in on concerns expressed by community banks in discussions on finalizing the capital rule.

Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP) in Nashville, Tenn., reported record quarterly profit after noninterest income jumped.

The most notable quotes from American Banker stories of the previous week. Readers are encouraged to add their own observations in the Comments fields at the bottom of each slide.

BBCN said in a press release Tuesday that the acquisition would position the $5.6 billion-asset company as "the leading Korean-American bank in Chicago" while providing it with entry into the Washington, D.C., market.

Avoid closing locations solely based on performance, test drive outreach programs and consider other options, such as amending hours, before shuttering an underperforming location.

Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y., has named a new chief financial officer.

The president and chief executive of Rocky Mountain Bank in Billings, Mont., is moving on to Herring Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

C&F Financial (CFFI) in West Point, Va., has snagged Gail Letts, an executive from SunTrust Banks (STI), to lead its business in the state's capital.

When Iberiabank lowered the amount of money it expects to receive in FDIC loss-sharing, it meant some credits are performing better than expected — and that some losses might show up after the FDIC agreement runs out.

Policymakers clearly don't want to harm small banks, but it's difficult to see how they can insulate us from the macroeconomic effects of some of the proposals being considered.

Fees from advising wealthy households propelled First Republic Bank (FRC) in the first quarter.

CFO Rene Jones says the two companies will "do whatever we need to do" to complete the merger, which has been delayed by the Federal Reserve Board's concerns with M&T's anti-money-laundering policies.

Expect the rate of terminated enforcement actions to increase in coming months as more banks get a handle on their problems, industry observers say.

The Treasury Department plans to auction its holdings in eight more banks as it continues to unwind Troubled Asset Relief Program holdings.