Focusing on signs of improvement, community bankers sounded unusually cheerful; some investors thought unduly so. Bonnie McGeer reports from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods' conference.

Nearly half of U.S. banks and thrifts with $2 billion to $10 billion in assets had lower net income in 2010. In the aggregate, mid-tiers earned just $935 million last year. At least it was an improvement from an overall loss of $1.4 billion in 2009.

With trouble spots lacking potential acquirers, M&A activity in most markets is slow.

United Community Financial Corp. in Youngstown, Ohio, said late Wednesday that it would sell four branches in the western part of the state to a unit of Croghan Bancshares Inc.

Look closely at the structure of the First PacTrust deal for Beach Business Bank to see how deal negotiators are hedging against stock volatility. Expect to see more creative pacts like this one.

First PacTrust said it wants Beach Business Bank for it commercial loans after just announcing a deal for a mortgage operation.

Big bank margins have contracted for five consecutive quarters, and are poised to shrink again during the current period amid a continuing buildup of deposits and a flatter yield curve.

Strong opinions abound on the future of bank branches. Will branches be relevant 10 years from now? Will financial technology solutions be able to significantly disrupt the business of banking such that branches, at least as we know them today, become obsolete?

WASHINGTON — Banks are again urging policymakers to reject proposals that would allow credit unions to make more business loans.

Recapitalization efforts at First Mariner Bancorp may be in peril following the company's removal from a Nasdaq listing.

By adding new processing capabilities, the bank is extending payment acceptance to include varied online payment methods for corporate clients that have international footprints.

Fifty community banks across the country received $767 million in the latest round of funding from the Small Business Lending Fund, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.

After months of rumors, Bank of America made it official Wednesday morning, saying it would exit the correspondent mortgage space, where it ranks second nationwide.

Swope Montgomery, the longtime CEO of BNC Bancorp in High Point, N.C., details his growth strategies, cautions on deals and the risks and rewards of private equity.

A $9.07 a share, Beach Business Bank's comes at a 53% premium to the Manhattan Beach, Calif., seller's closing price.

The banking industry is reeling from a slowdown in the economy that could last years and layoffs in this industry will be severe. Bank of America leads the list with announcing that it will lay off 10,000 employees and UBS is geared to lay off 3,500, however, this round of layoffs will touch not only the large banks, but also community and regional banks.

Sun Bancorp Inc. in Vineland, N.J., announced Tuesday that it has filed a shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking approval to raise up to $150 million that it could use to fund future growth.

Heartland Financial USA Inc. in Dubuque, Iowa was approved for up to $81.7 million in the Small Business Lending Fund, the largest amount publicly announced.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has ordered CB Holding Corp. in Aledo, Ill., to serve as a source of strength for its struggling bank unit, Country Bank.

MidSouth Bancorp Inc. has long said that pricing has been to irrational in M&A. News that interest rates will stay low, however, may force an inflection point for sellers.