Hanmi Financial Corp. of Los Angeles said Thursday that its net loss improved in the third quarter and its bank returned to a well-capitalized regulatory standing.

United Community Banks Inc. in Blairsville, Ga., reported a net loss of $239 million for the third quarter, which it attributed primarily to a major goodwill impairment charge.

All that's standing between Flagstar Bancorp Inc.'s past as a troubled mortgage lender and a potential future as a full-service community bank is $1.1 billion of problem loans.

The Federal Reserve Board issued three enforcement actions against community banks and their holding companies on Thursday.

Cathay General Bancorp of Los Angeles had income of $17.3 million for the third quarter compared with a net loss of $17.7 million a year earlier.

Wintrust Financial Corp. in Lake Forest, Ill., on Wednesday reported earnings of $20.1 million for the third quarter, as interest income rose and its loan-loss provision fell dramatically.

First Place Financial Corp. in Warren, Ohio, has pushed back the release of results for its fiscal first quarter. The $3.1 billion-asset company was expected to release results for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 after the market closed Tuesday, but instead issued a brief press release saying that the report, along with a conference call with investors scheduled for Wednesday, had been postponed.

Third-quarter net income at Trustmark Corp. in Jackson, Miss., rose 1.4% year over year, to nearly $25.9 million. The $9.4 billion-asset Trustmark had aggressively reduced problem loans, resulting in higher chargeoffs yet a lower loan-loss provision.

IMGCAP(1)]

Nearly two years after hiring CEO Paul Perrault, known for his acquisitiveness, the capital-heavy Brookline announced Wednesday that it would buy another Massachusetts company, First Ipswich Bancorp, for $19.7 million.

PrivateBancorp Inc. in Chicago returned to the black in the third quarter. The $12.5 billion-asset company reported Tuesday that it earned $4.5 million, compared with a loss of $818,000 in the second quarter and a loss of $31.2 million a year earlier.

Ameris Bank is one of the few homegrown banks in Georgia to have bid successfully on multiple failed banks. That's especially notable given that Ameris, which on Friday made its fourth failed-bank purchase in the past year, has had eight consecutive quarters of net losses largely owing to credit deterioration in real estate-related loans.

Nara Bancorp Inc. of Los Angeles swung to a $4 million profit in the third quarter, a 37% improvement from a year earlier, after selling a pool of problem loans.

After a brief return to profitability in late 2009, Whitney Holding Corp. in New Orleans has reported another losing quarter.

S&T Bancorp Inc. in Indiana, Pa., said Monday that its third-quarter earnings rose 41% year over year, to $10.9 million, on an increase in noninterest income.

Bank of Hawaii Corp. in Honolulu said Monday that its third-quarter earnings rose 20% from a year earlier, to $44.1 million, as a reduction in credit costs and an increase in mortgage banking revenue offset lower interest income.

Chemical Financial Corp. in Midland, Mich., on Monday reported that its third-quarter profit rose 255% from a year earlier, to $8.9 million, as credit costs declined and it began recognizing the benefits of a recent acquisition.

Eagle Bancorp has increased the size of its banking unit, EagleBank, by 33% in the past year — and logged seven consecutive quarters of record profits, including this past quarter.

Community Bank System Inc. of DeWitt, N.Y., which has been quiet in mergers and acquisitions the past few years, has reverted to form with its most expensive deal to date.

Seven banks failed Friday, bringing the total number of failures this year to within one of the number of failures in all of 2009. So far 139 banks have failed in 2010. Friday's failures are expected to cost the deposit insurance fund a collective $478 million.