Institutions with $5 billion to $50 billion in assets have gained a bigger slice of the industry's assets since 2010 by focusing on specialized lending and redefining their markets.

The $5.9 billion-asset company sold the subsidiary, First Merchants Insurance Group, on June 12 to USI Insurance Services, an insurance brokerage firm in Valhalla, N.Y.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., has named a new head of commercial real estate lending after its current leader resigned.

Community Bank in Pasadena, Calif., has completed a debt restructuring that will reduce second-quarter profit, but will improve its cost of funds and margins and increase yearly income.

Rita Lowman, chief operating officer at C1 Financial in St. Petersburg, Fla., has been named chairwoman-elect of the Florida Bankers Association.

Emclaire Financial in Emlenton, Pa., has raised $8 million in a private placement of its common stock.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including the pitfalls of using alternative data to score "credit invisibles" and whether Benjamin Lawsky's successor should play nice with big banks.

Riverview Bancorp in Vancouver, Wash., is in talks with an activist investor about a board seat.

Almost two-dozen banks in New York City do not appear to offer or widely advertise basic checking accounts, although state law requires it, the New York City Comptroller said Friday.

Worth Carter is reluctant to talk to investors and media. He is tight-fisted with costs and is willing to hold off making loans. His namesake bank doesn't offer online banking. But the institution is riding a hot streak of profitability that would make other banks jealous.

Community West Bancshares in Goleta, Calif., said that a litigation settlement concerning its sale of residential-mortgage loans will reduce its second-quarter profit.

Highlands Bancorp in Vernon, N.J., has acquired LCD Mortgage, a residential mortgage originator in Totowa, N.J.

People's Utah Bancorp in American Fork has filed for a $36.3 million initial public offering. The $1.4 billion-asset holding company for Bank of American Fork and Lewiston State Bank plans to sell 2.5 million shares of common stock for $14.50 each.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week, from the qualities we should look for in the next sheriff of Wall Street to overdraft fee regulation. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and from our social media platforms.

Atlantic Capital Bancshares in Atlanta has increased the portion of its common stock to be used in its pending $160 million acquisition of First Security Group in Chattanooga, Tenn.

North Shore Bank in Peabody, Mass., has agreed to merge with Merrimac Savings Bank in Massachusetts.

Community Bank System and Oneida Financial, both of western New York state, have delayed the closing of their merger after settling a shareholder lawsuit that challenged the deal.

The mortgage lender Nationstar Mortgage Holdings is pouring a lot of energy into a digital and mobile homebuying platform called Xome. The strategy could attract tech-savvy millennials but carries plenty of risks including whether consumers would be improperly steered to its products.

New Buffalo Savings Bank in Michigan has filed plans to convert from a mutual thrift to a stock-owned institution.

Young Americans Bank, a niche institution in Denver focused on children, has a mission to create good future banking customers, but CEO Richard Martinez says kids today are cautious about credit after watching their parents struggle through the downturn.