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.

First Charter Corp. in Charlotte has always had ties to churches, providing them with building loans and other types of financing.

Fidelity Southern Corp. in Atlanta said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that it would consider a merger or acquisition in the near future.

Iberiabank Corp. in Lafayette, La., reported a third-quarter loss of $1.3 million after it substantially boosted its loan-loss provision to cover expected defaults from customers affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Chittenden Corp. of Burlington, Vt., reported a 10% increase in third-quarter net income, to $21.7 million, as well as an increased net interest margin, continued low chargeoffs, and its lowest efficiency ratio in five years.

For years after its founding in 1977, County Bank of Merced, Calif., hummed along as a tiny community bank, serving farmers and mom-and-pop businesses in and around the small San Joaquin Valley town.

Provident Bankshares Corp. in Baltimore announced Thursday third-quarter earnings rose 11% from a year earlier, to a record $20 million.

Five weeks after opening its first branch in Lynchburg, Va., American National Bankshares Inc. has agreed to buy a community bank that is headquartered there.