Sandler O'Neill & Partners analyst Kevin Fitzsimmons on Friday lowered his 2012 earnings estimates for 11 regional and community banks amid concern about weak loan demand and mounting pressure on net interest margins.

Shareholders at Nara Bancorp and Center Financial have approved the planned merger of the two Los Angeles companies.

Dodd-Frank will prove hugely expensive and still fail in its main mission of preventing the next financial crisis. Blame Washington and its flawed assumption that it can micro-manage the banking system.

To hedge against bad surprises in a seller's portfolio, some buyers are making part of the payout contingent on the performance of certain loans or batches of them. If things go well, the practice can help the seller, too.

First National was looking to sell – for the second time. Kevin Fowler, whose return to banking as president of Rockwall Bancshares followed a failed bid for office, was looking to enter the Dallas market. A match was made.

Battered by losses on soured loans, First Place Financial Corp. in Warren, Ohio, said this week that it is planning to restate its earnings for its past three fiscal years.

The Federal Reserve on Thursday announced that it has reached a written agreement with SWNB Bancorp Inc. in Houston.

First Mariner Bancorp in Baltimore said Thursday that it has reached an extended deadline for a proposed recapitalization by a New York fund.

International Bancshares Corp. in Laredo, Texas, announced Thursday that it is closing 55 grocery store branches in response to legislation that will cap what banks can charge merchants for debit card transactions.

In what would be its first deal since creating a fund to invest in undervalued banks last year, bond giant Pacific Investment Management Co. is seeking regulatory approval to buy a roughly 20% stake in ECB Bancorp Inc. in Englehard, N.C.

Signature Bank, known for its aggressive business style, raised its profile further with the addition of a VIP director: Ivanka Trump.

Months after a Fed report on executive compensation at banks was expected to be released, Rep. Lloyd Doggett seeks answers.

Great Southern Bancorp Inc. in Springfield, Mo., said Wednesday that had repurchases a series of warrants held by the Treasury Department as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Chief executives of small banks discuss efforts to find new sources of non-interest income and cuts costs at a recent industry conference.

Britton & Koontz Capital Corp. in Natchez, Miss., said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that it was amending its previous financial statements for the three- and six-month periods that ended June 30.

State Street Corp. has agreed to purchase a Boston brokerage firm, Pulse Trading Inc.

Wintrust Financial in Illinois is tired of hiding behind numerous brand names. The $15 billion-asset company has launched an advertising campaign to aggressively introduce the Wintrust brand in Chicago.

The biggest bank in Hawaii is set to have a new chief executive.

Series of bad events led to Seattle banks sale to AmericanWest. Being small did not help things.

Forget Dodd-Frank. Never mind unemployment. Want to jumpstart lending? Fix the system for classifying loans, Harris Simmons says.