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Management has also been allocating more resources to other markets to add loans and boost fee income in businesses such as card services and wealth management. Such moves are designed to offset fallout from an energy book that shrunk by 14% last year.

Legal costs and a tax credit impairment during the fourth quarter at First Horizon National in Memphis, Tenn., offset loan growth and a rise in fee income.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported a higher fourth-quarter profit on stronger interest and fee income.

Costs associated with M&T Bank's successful but prolonged effort to buy Hudson City Bancorp pushed the Buffalo, N.Y., company's fourth-quarter profit lower.

A number of community banks have gotten into government-backed small-business lending by buying firms or poaching talent. While the business seems lucrative now, there are concerns that too many banks may be jumping into the pool.

PayPal co-founder and technology investor Peter Thiel is part of a $3.5 million investment in former PayPal executive Eric M. Jackson's cloud-based business technology startup.

TotalBank in Miami said it has promoted Jay Pelham to president, succeeding Luis de la Aguilera, who left the company in December to lead U.S. Century Bank in Doral, Fla.

Labor-intensive cross-marketing programs, which were beyond the scope of small marketing departments, are suddenly feasible thanks to automation.

Bank of America Corp., the second-biggest U.S. lender, said profit rose 9.4 percent on gains in fees and declines in expenses.

Executives of Wells Fargo, especially CEO John Stumpf, have repeatedly insisted that the economy (and their bank) will be fine despite the collapse in oil prices. But now they are acknowledging efforts to think about what happens if they are wrong.

Judging from the questions executives fielded about everything from the slowdown in China to the bank's energy exposure to the potential for another 2008-style crisis, worries are running high.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. outlined the succession plans for several key offices on Friday, including the heads of its legislative affairs and San Francisco offices.

Citigroup, which pioneered the era of global megabanks before almost collapsing in the financial crisis, just slid behind Wells Fargo to rank as the nation's fourth-biggest lender.

Payne, who was promoted from director of corporate risk services, began her new role Jan. 1. She succeeded Dave Kling, who retired, the $18 billion-asset bank said.

PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh reported lower fourth-quarter profits on a decline in fees related to residential mortgages and deposit accounts.

U.S. Bancorp on Friday reported a dip in profits, due to a mix of lower fees and higher credit costs.

Wells Fargo, the world’s largest bank by market value, posted fourth-quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates as revenue from lending and securities investments increased.

Citigroup boosted fourth-quarter profit more than analysts estimated as it generated more revenue from investment banking and a portfolio of unwanted assets.

First Business Financial Services in Madison, Wis., said it has hired Edward Sloane Jr. to be its next chief financial officer.

Bank chiefs should brace for a barrage of questions about economic uncertainty, if JPMorgan Chase's experience after releasing fourth-quarter results is any indication. Double-digit increases in loans and profits were not enough to stave off questions about the odds of recession, energy risks and adequacy of reserves.