The pace of bank mergers slowed in the second quarter, but deal announcements still rose about 15% in the first half from a year earlier, according to SNL Financial.

An unsolicited offer by PacWest added jet fuel to the shares of First California, strengthening its hand in a takeover deal of its own and bolstering management's effort to stay independent.

Dozens of small banks have substantially increased commercial and industrial lending over the past few years. Supervisors are worried that some may be chasing unfamiliar business down a blind alley.

The nation's largest credit union is pushing loan participations, which could help credit unions make more loans despite existing regulatory caps.

International Bancshares (IBOC) in Laredo, Texas, has repurchased $40 million of preferred stock that it issued to the Treasury Department under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

ProAmérica Bank (PMRA) in Los Angeles has named a 25-year banking veteran as its president and chief executive after a yearlong search.

FirstBank Holding in Lakewood, Colo., will close a dozen branches inside Colorado grocery stores.

First California Financial Group (FCAL) has reduced by 38% the number of shares it would pay to acquire Premier Service Bank in Riverside, Calif.

The government has failed to publicly vet its use of auctions to dispose of its remaining Troubled Asset Relief Program holdings. That leaves too many questions unanswered about its exit plans.

John Allison, the former chairman and CEO of BB&T, recently agreed to become the president and CEO of the Cato Institute, a leading libertarian think tank. He joins a growing list of former bank executives who are trying their hand at something totally unrelated to banking.

Small banks beat out their larger counterparts last month with a bigger jump in approvals for loans to small businesses, according to the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index.

Comerica (CMA) in Dallas is the latest bank to announce plans to enter the prepaid card market.

1st Security Bank of Washington, a troubled former credit union known until 2004 as Washington's CU, announced this afternoon it raised $32.4 million with an initial public offering, the latest credit union-convert to go public.

Deposits are worth buying if you get them at a good price and are making loans, says Stephen Gordon, the chairman and CEO of Opus Bank, which agreed this week to buy 10 branches from PacWest for a 2.5% premium.

Businesses continue to deposit fund in banks as safety trumps yield as an investment priority. The move continues to cause bankers headaches as the funds weigh down balance sheet returns.

Amalgamated Bank in New York is continuing its product line expansion with the addition of a home mortgage division.

Taylor Capital Group (TAYC) in Chicago is registering 20.6 million shares of its stock to make it easier for certain shareholders to sell the securities.

HomeTrust Bank in Asheville, N.C., is set to raise up to $211.6 million as it converts to a stock-owned bank from a mutual thrift.

Businesses are expecting to unload even more cash into banks, according to a liquidity survey released Tuesday by the Association of Financial Professionals.

IMGCAP(1)]