Comerica's agreement to buy Sterling Bancshares apparently scuttles an activist shareholder's plans to take over the target bank, but it doesn't mean he's on the losing end.

Treating all loans alike unnecessarily harms small businesses. Most are innocent bystanders, but high administrative expenses keep their loans from generating strong returns.

The Treasury Department said Friday that it plans to auction warrants in Citigroup Inc., Boston Private Financial Holdings and Wintrust Financial Corp., disposing of its remaining holdings in the companies.

Cardinal Financial Corp. in McLean, Va., said Friday that it probably incurred a goodwill impairment charge of $2.6 million in the fourth quarter.

Webster Financial Corp. in Waterbury, Conn., beat analysts' estimates Friday, reporting fourth-quarter net income of $25 million, or 30 cents a share.

The $2.2 billion-asset United Western said in a Jan. 12 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had entered into its sixth forbearance agreement on a $16.25 million line of credit with the New York banking company.

State Bank and Trust of North Dakota has closed its purchase of Bell Mortgage, a lender based in Minneapolis.

For the first time in years, there is some optimism about community banks' results ahead of the quarterly reporting season.

Regulators Friday closed the $231 million-asset Oglethorpe Bank in Brunswick, Ga., the third failed institution in 2011.

Regulators Friday closed the $231 million-asset Oglethorpe Bank in Brunswick, Ga., the third failed institution in 2011.

For the first time in years, there is some optimism about community banks' results ahead of the quarterly reporting season.

SI Financial Group Inc. in Willimantic, Conn., said late Wednesday that it had completed its conversion to a stock holding company from a mutual holding company.

Eureka Financial Corp. in Pittsburgh said Thursday that it had received conditional approval from its regulator to finish converting to a stock company from a mutual holding company.

Washington Federal Inc. in Seattle said Thursday that fourth-quarter net income more than tripled to $24.5 million from $7.9 million a year earlier.

Commerce Bancshares Inc. in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday reported fourth-quarter net income rose 25% from a year earlier, fueled by fee income.

Investors hoping that dividend increases expected at large banks will trickle down to community banks are probably out of luck.

The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that two financial companies have repaid funds they received in the government's banking bailout.

Though it's the big banks that are working with energy companies, smaller institutions still expect huge opportunities, some risks aside, to serve ancillary businesses and consumers.

American 1 Federal Credit Union has become the first business to take advantage of tax abatements offered to companies located within commercial rehabilitation districts in Hillsdale, Mich.

Taylor Capital Group Inc. in Rosemont, Ill., is positioning itself to raise more capital. The $4.6 billion-asset company filed a shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday to raise as much as $175 million.