PrivateBancorp Inc. in Chicago reported its second straight profitable quarter as credit quality continued to show signs of stabilizing and it added commercial and industrial loans.

Northwest Bancshares Inc. in Warren, Pa., said Tuesday that it is closing its Florida operation. The $8.1 billion-asset company said its board had authorized the closing of its three Florida branches.

Signature Bank in New York said Tuesday that it had earned $30.3 million in the fourth quarter, up 44% from a year earlier.

Nara Bancorp Inc. in Los Angeles has reported earning $5 million in the fourth quarter, compared with a loss a year earlier.

Community banks are still regaining their footing, but a little-known provision in the Dodd-Frank Act could help them find opportunities once they are ready to grow again.

The number of community banks has already been cut in half and it's no stretch to imagine that total being halved again in coming years. The question for policymakers is does this matter?

Britton & Koontz Capital Corp. in Natchez, Miss., reported a fourth-quarter profit despite a rise in nonperforming assets.

Sierra Bancorp in Porterville, Calif., reported a dip in fourth-quarter earnings that it attributed Monday to bigger losses associated with foreclosed properties.

The State Employees' Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C., started an estate planning and will preparation pilot program last week.

Fidelity Southern Corp. in Atlanta returned to full-year profitability after earning $3 million in the fourth quarter. The $1.91 billion-asset company lost $3.9 million in 2009 but earned $10.1 million last year.

Virginia Heritage Bank in Fairfax reported $1.3 million of fourth-quarter net income, an 86.5% increase from a year earlier.

Wintrust Financial Corp. in Lake Forest, Ill., said Monday that its fourth-quarter earnings fell 50% from a year earlier, to $14.2 million.

The $13.1 billion-asset company said Monday that its earnings were up slightly from a year earlier, to $40.6 million, or 84 cents a share.

Pacific Commerce Bank in Los Angeles said Monday that it raised $5 million in a private placement this month.

The Cincinnati company will provide services including debit card processing, automated teller machine driving, fraud protection and card production to First New Mexico Bank of Deming, N.M.; Valley Bank of Commerce in Roswell, N.M.; and First State Bank of Mesquite, Texas. First New Mexico has 13 ATMs, Valley Bank has two ATMs and First State Bank has four ATMs.

With regulators catching flak for taking too long to close "zombie" institutions, the failure of United Western Bank seemed atypically quick.

First Hawaiian Bank said Friday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose 4% year over year, to $50.2 million. For the full year loans at the Honolulu company grew 3.3%.

Colony Bankcorp Inc. in Fitzgerald, Ga., is closing in on break-even quarterly results. The $1.3 million-asset company on Friday reported a fourth-quarter loss of $47,000, compared with a $14.6 million loss a year earlier.

Despite having private-equity commitments, the $2 billion-asset United Western Bank in Denver failed Friday. Regulators also closed banks in the Carolinas and Georgia.

Despite having private-equity commitments, the $2 billion-asset United Western Bank in Denver failed Friday. Regulators also closed banks in the Carolinas and Georgia.