Commercial Capital Bancorp Inc. of Irvine, Calif., blamed a drop in fourth-quarter earnings on higher salary expenses and ongoing costs to defend itself in a lawsuit over trade secrets.

Gerald R. "Jerry" Francis' latest turnaround job has been his fastest yet.

PanAmerican Bank of Miami has received regulatory approval to change its name to Sun American Bank, and it began trading under the new ticker symbol SBK on Monday.

First State Bancorp in Albuquerque reported Monday that it had net income of $6.1 million in the fourth quarter, up 45% from the year-earlier period, and a record $21.4 million in earnings for the year, up 41%.

BankUnited Financial Corp. in Coral Gables, Fla., which has been opening roughly one branch a month since mid-2004, is raising $150 million to keep building in deposit-rich Florida.

First Community Bancorp in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., said Friday that it earned $15.3 million in the fourth quarter, up 46.3% from the year-earlier period.

Prosperity Bancshares of Houston reported a 35% increase in fourth-quarter income, but SNB Bancshares Inc., the Sugar Land, Tex., company it is buying for $243 million, was not as successful.

FirstMerit Corp. of Akron said Thursday that it earned $31.2 million in the fourth quarter, 9.9% more than a year earlier.

WASHINGTON - It has been a challenging few months for Hector V. Barreto, but the administrator of the Small Business Administration insists that the heat is not getting to him.

The $6.5 billion-asset Chittenden Corp. in Burlington, Vt., reported fourth-quarter earnings of $21.8 million, 9% more than in the 2004 quarter.

People's Bank of Bridgeport, Conn., said Thursday that fourth-quarter profits rose 26% from a year earlier, to $35.2 million, or 25 cents a share, which met the average analyst estimate.

American River Bankshares in Sacramento, Calif., said Thursday that strong growth in commercial loans and core deposits helped fuel fourth-quarter earnings.

Republic Bancorp Inc. of Louisville said Wednesday that fourth-quarter profits dropped 12% from a year earlier, to $5.8 million.

MIDDLE ATLANTIC

Greater Atlantic Financial Corp. in Reston, Va., a $383 million-asset thrift company, may close or sell its mortgage business.

Farm Credit System lenders are largely confined to making farmland loans, but they have begun to lay the groundwork for legislative and regulatory changes that would enlarge their lending powers.

Corus Bankshares Inc. of Chicago said Tuesday that it had it earned $38.1 million in the fourth quarter, 39.6% more than a year earlier, and per-share earnings rose 32%, to $1.32, beating the average of analysts' estimates by 8 cents.

Texas Regional Bancshares Inc. said its fourth-quarter net income was up 9.6% from a year earlier, to $22.8 million, despite a 92% rise in chargeoffs, to $7.5 million.