The management of Independence Federal Savings Bank of Washington has fended off a shareholder's attempt to take over the thrift, but in the process it lost another seat on the board of directors.

Synovus Financial Corp., whose president and chief executive, Richard Anthony, told investors this summer that it was interested in becoming more acquisitive, announced its second acquisition in as many months Monday.

A week after reporting a nearly 5% drop in third-quarter earnings, Chemical Financial Corp. of Midland, Mich., announced a broad restructuring Friday aimed at cutting costs and boosting profits.

Add Teche Holding Co. of Franklin, La., to the list of Gulf Coast banking companies reporting earnings declines in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The chief executive and president of F.N.B. Corp. of Hermitage, Pa., said it created a merchant-banking subsidiary because he was tired of turning away business.

National Mercantile Bancorp in Los Angeles said its third-quarter earnings rose 49% from the same quarter a year earlier, to a record $1.3 million.

The $3 billion-asset BancFirst Corp. of Oklahoma City has agreed to acquire the $44 million-asset Park State Bank of Nicoma Park, Okla.

Strong loan growth boosted third-quarter earnings at Bank of Commerce Holdings in Redding, Calif.

After more than a year of scouting for bank acquisitions in California, Colorado, and Texas, Bay View Capital Corp. of San Mateo, Calif., finally found a deal to its liking — in upstate New York.

Alabama National Bancorp, which has been expanding fast in Florida, announced another deal there Thursday - to buy the $325 million-asset Florida Choice Bank in Mount Dora for $110 million in cash and stock.

MainSource Financial Group Inc. of Greensburg, Ind., has agreed to buy HFS Bank of Hobart for about $36 million.

MIDWESTDelaware Place Bank of Chicago has hired Dean D. Lawrence as its senior vice president of commercial real estate lending.

The Small Business Administration's flagship 7(a) lending program enjoyed a record fiscal year, in which it guaranteed more loans for more money than ever before.

Facing mounting pressure from an activist shareholder, Sovereign Bancorp Inc. spent the weekend in late-stage talks that culminated Monday with a deal to sell a significant equity stake to Banco Santander Central Hispano SA.

The battle to buy Great Eastern Bank in New York intensified Monday as one of its two California suitors increased its offer.

After selling a profitable technology subsidiary for a tidy sum, City Bank in Lynnwood, Wash., had so much cash to spare that it passed on $30 million to shareholders.

Commercial Capital Bancorp Inc. in Irvine, Calif., is expanding in northern California by buying Calnet Business Bank for about $40 million in stock.

Unizan Financial Corp. of Canton, Ohio, said Friday that it earned $5.7 million in the third quarter, up 14% from the second quarter and 98% from a year earlier.

Republic Bancorp Inc. of Louisville announced Friday that its third-quarter earnings rose 18%, to $8.1 million.