First Niagara's plan to pay for nearly 200 HSBC branches has diminished the deal's promise, put new burdens on the bank and its investors and lowered CEO John Koelmel's profile on Wall Street.

After several years on the sidelines, the Cincinnati regional looks to acquisitions to "deepen density."

Three state banking commissioners — Mark Kaufman of Maryland, James Cooper of Indiana and John Ducrest of Louisiana — said Wednesday that heightened regulatory, economic and policy concerns are deterring worthy state-chartered banks from winning big investors.

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Equity Bank in Andover, Kan., and University National Bank in Lawrence, Kan., have terminated their deal to merge.

BMO Financial Group played up the promise of its acquisition of Marshall & Ilsley Corp., but an uptick in nonperforming assets in the U.S. raised some eyebrows.

Bank of America Corp. urged its shareholders not to submit shares to an unsolicited tender offer from virtually unknown investment group IPIC Group Ltd., even though the offer is at a premium to recent market prices.

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. Buffalo announced a series of moves after the stock market closed Tuesday aimed at raising the capital it needs to complete its acquisition of 195 upstate New York branches from rival HSBC Bank USA.

The extra $108 million of nonperforming assets is not a problem, BMO's chief Bill Downe says in an interview in discussing the Canadian company's integration of its recent U.S. acquisition.

Continuing its expansion in entertainment hotbeds outside of Southern California, City National Bank in Los Angeles has opened its first banking office in Atlanta.

An avalanche of private equity-led acquisitions of banks never materialized this year, dampening expectations for a 2012 rebound. But don't tell that to former bankers who are tied to buyout funds.

A second independent advisory firm has weighed in on pending board elections at HF Financial Corp. and this one is urging shareholders to cast their ballots for candidates supported by management.

Only two credit unions sold their credit card portfolios in the third quarter, recently released data show.

Beneficial Mutual Bancorp Inc. of Philadelphia has agreed to acquire SE Financial Corp.

Wells Fargo & Co. will pay $75 million to settle a class-action lawsuit by stockholders who claimed Wachovia misrepresented the quality of its mortgages from 2006 to 2008.

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Under a deal excepted to close in the second quarter, River Valley Bancorp in Madison, Ind., would pay $6.3 million in cash for all the common stock of the $82 million-asset Dupont State Bank.

Many community banks that are struggling to grow and cannot afford to repay their bailout aid will be forced to sell, and they don't have a lot of time to find a buyer.

First Midwest Bancorp Inc. in Itasca, Ill., First Financial Bancorp in Cincinnati and MidSouth Bancorp Inc. in Lafayette, La., have finalized separate acquisitions.

HSBC Capital Management, the buyout arm of HSBC Holdings PLC's business in America, Monday said it has spun out into a new firm called Graycliff Partners — the latest example of a bank disposing of assets in the face of regulatory reform.