In its first nine months of operation, an industrial loan company with an unconventional business model has already amassed nearly $200 million of loans and is on pace to exceed its goal of having $282 million of assets by Oct. 31.

Omega Financial Corp. in State College, Pa., is selling three of its branches as part of a refinement of its retail network.

Placer Sierra Bancshares' decision to pull back its commercial real estate lending to focus on higher-yield commercial and industrial loans did not go over well with investors and analysts.

Wilber National Bank in Oneonta, N.Y., is suffering along with its customers from the June floods that wreaked havoc in much of the Northeast.

Federal regulators have taken control of a tiny Philadelphia credit union after a routine examination turned up record-keeping improprieties.

Bradford Bancorp Inc. in Baltimore is buying the $50 million-asset Valley Bancorp in Hunt Valley, Md., for $9.6 million in cash.

The wave of Texas mergers and acquisitions in recent months could accelerate dealmaking among small banking companies and spawn a new generation of publicly traded ones, industry observers say.

J. Roger Moyer Jr., the president and chief executive officer of Sterling Financial Corp. in Lancaster, Pa., recognizes the power of words.

Ten Virginia banks bound by an unusual holding company structure are merging into a single bank that would be among the largest headquartered in the state.

Center Bancorp in Union, N.J., said Monday that second-quarter earnings fell 26% from the year-earlier quarter as a result of a balance-sheet restructuring earlier this year.

Habersham Bancorp in Cornelia, Ga., announced second-quarter earnings of $1.3 million, up nearly 56% from a year earlier. Per-share earnings rose 52%, to 44 cents.

C&F Financial Corp. of West Point, Va., announced Monday that it believes two former employees stole $2.2 million from its mortgage subsidiary.

Gardiner Savings Institution FSB in Maine has a deal to buy First Citizens Bank in Presque Isle for $20.8 million in cash.

With an efficiency ratio of 78.32%, Sun Bancorp Inc. in Vineland, N.J., has a lot of room for improvement — and a long way to go before impressing analysts.

Atlantic Southern Financial Group Inc. in Macon, Ga., has announced a deal to buy the $62 million-asset Sapelo Bancshares Inc. of Darien for $15.4 million in cash and stock.

MetroCorp Bancshares Inc. of Houston said its second-quarter earnings rose 22.5% compared with the same period last year, to $3.4 million.

First Financial Bancorp in Hamilton, Ohio, said second-quarter earnings fell 56% from a year earlier, to $4.4 million, because of costs associated with a restructuring.

Hurt by higher funding costs, Sterling Bancorp in New York said its second-quarter net income fell 20% from a year earlier, to $4.9 million.

State National Bancshares Inc. of Fort Worth said its second-quarter earnings rose 17.9% from a year earlier, to $4.6 million.

Pacific Capital Bancorp in Santa Barbara, Calif., said second-quarter earnings fell 20.2% from a year earlier, to $11.5 million, because of higher expenses and reduced margins.