The state-owned Bank of North Dakota has approved a plan to provide $300 million in loans to farmers hit by low commodity prices or crop production.

Bank Leumi's conservatism helped it stay profitable during the financial crisis. The bank, a unit of Leumi Group in Israel, is ready to get more aggressive in areas such as technology lending.

Royal Banks of Missouri in University City has agreed to buy Frontenac Bank in Earth City, Mo.

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina in Newton has been hit with an enforcement action related to its compliance with anti-money-laundering laws.

Scott Kavanaugh, CEO of First Foundation Bank in Irvine, Calif., talks about running a startup bank during the financial crisis. The drought in de novos will likely continue because of high compliance costs, he said.

Hilltop Holdings in Dallas has rebranded its securities unit as it prepared to combine two broker-dealer businesses it picked up from a recent acquisition.

PwC's Dennis Nally on how men can empower women in financial services; Fidelity's Kathy Murphy on drawing female customers to financial planning; Well Fargo's Maureen O'Donnell on welcoming female advisers aboard; and are the regulatory agencies welcoming to women?

The American Bankers Association named Georgia community banker Daniel Blanton its new chairman and elected three additional officers during its annual convention.

The Illinois company has lined up two small acquisitions near Chicago to surpass $10 billion in assets, a mark that brings added regulatory oversight. As a result, analysts expect First Midwest to string together more deals in 2016 to increase revenue and improve efficiency.

East West Bancorp has been placed under an enforcement action for anti-money-laundering compliance weaknesses, as it continues a plan to spend an estimated total of $12 million on program upgrades.

First Midwest Bancorp in Itasca, Ill., has agreed to buy NI Bancshares in Sycamore, Ill.

Salvatore Marranca and Garrett Richter have a lot in common: both found success in the banking world after army service in Vietnam. It was that wartime experience, though, that set them apart from most of their peers.

Stonebridge Financial in West Chester, Pa., plans to sell its bank through bankruptcy proceedings.

Mid Penn Bancorp in Millersburg, Pa., plans to exit the Small Business Lending Fund program and redeem a separate pool of preferred stock through an upcoming debt sale.

Central Bank of Kansas City in Missouri has agreed to issue prepaid cards for Cachet Financial Solutions in Minneapolis.

For years, UMB Financial rode fee-income gains from the expansion of its asset management unit to some strong quarters. But the unit's production has waned lately forcing the company to rethink its expense base and management structure.

RBB Bancorp in Los Angeles has agreed to buy TFC Holding, the parent of TomatoBank in Los Angeles.

Banc of California in Irvine has named executives to the newly created positions of chief strategy officer and chief investment officer.

An interbank loan market for community and regional banks, and backed by the Chicago Board Options Exchange, plans to open for business next month.

Given that Bank of the Ozarks has agreed to pay handsomely for C1 Financial in Florida, the relatively scarce number of large institutions in the state could command higher prices from acquirers.