It's not too soon for CEOs to think about how they'll fill the profit hole sure to come when interest rates rise and the number of borrowers eligible to refinance ultimately drops.

Suffolk Bancorp in Riverhead, N.Y., posted higher second-quarter profit as it recorded a credit for its loan-loss provision and a decline in operating expenses.

First Community (FCCO) in Lexington, S.C., said it could use the $15 million it raised through a common stock offering to exit the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

IMGCAP(1)]

Regulators in Georgia closed the $217 million-asset Jasper Banking, which became the industry's 39th bank to fail this year.

The Treasury Department did not sell some of the preferred shares it owns two community banks as planned after it received insufficient bids for the securities.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — NCUA said this afternoon it has taken over Trinity CU, a troubled $4 million credit union in Trinidad, Colo.

The Federal Reserve Board entered into a written agreement with Cornerstone Bancorp that requires the St. Petersburg, Fla., company to serve as a source of strength for its bank.

Second-quarter income more than tripled from a year ago at Hancock Holding (HBHC) in Gulfport, Miss., after its net interest income surged and it recorded less in merger-related expenses.

Some sellers are asking for a lot and buyers have to be careful in vetting targets, but deal activity should increase given the economic pressures and the number of talks going on behind the scenes, some community bank CEOs say.

WASHINGTON — The heads of two key banking trade associations on Friday repeated their calls for Congress to extend the Transaction Account Guarantee program.

Chicago is the latest municipality to adopt a resolution to hold hearings on whether to use eminent domain to take over underwater mortgages from private investors.

Sovereign Bank defeated an overdraft fee lawsuit in Florida federal court on Thursday, making it the only bank to successfully argue its overdraft practices were sanctioned by federal regulators.

Porter Bancorp (PBIB) in Louisville, Ky., is back in the red after posting a profit in the first quarter.

Gideon King, president of Loeb Capital Management, threatened to buy more stock in First California and clean house in the boardroom and executive suite to facilitate a sale to PacWest or another buyer.

The Community Bank, a struggling mutual thrift in Massachusetts, has given up its bid to stay independent and will instead merge with Eastern Bank, the state's largest financial institution.

Preston M. "Pete" Geren 3rd, a former secretary of the Army and U.S. lawmaker, recently joined the board of Texas Capital Bancshares in Dallas.

First Niagara Financial Group swung to a loss in the second quarter on costs tied to its acquisition of retail branches from HSBC Bank.

Nonperforming assets spiked at several community banks in the second quarter, showing that bankers must remain mindful of the risks still embedded in their loan portfolios.

While customers resent paying fees for traditional banking services, they are receptive to paying fees for emerging services that support their financial lifestyles.