Dodd-Frank establishes U.S. financial stability as a critical hurdle for regulators to evaluate before approving future mergers and acquisitions.

The payment processor wants to grow through acquisition and work directly with merchants.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority on Tuesday fined Citigroup Global Markets Inc. $3.5 million in a settlement related to charges of nonconforming residential mortgage-backed securities violations that Citi neither admitted to nor denied.

Citigroup, a somewhat frequent seller of nonperforming loans, is in the market with a $99 million package of troubled residential mortgages, according to investors that have looked at the package.

Intermountain Community Bancorp had hoped to raise up to $8.7 million from existing shareholders, but the Sandpoint, Idaho, company only got 40% of the way there.

Bank of America will buy back $330 million of home mortgages from Freddie Mac because the bank did not get full appraisals on some properties, raising concerns that some newly originated loans are not meeting underwriting guidelines.

The Federal Reserve has ordered Britton & Koontz Capital to obtain the regulator’s approval before making a number of strategic moves.

The Virginia company had been fighting efforts by Schaller Equity Partners to win up to five seats on the board.

Investors are now willing to put money into community lenders with credible business plans, sufficient scale, and executives who show "courage" and "fortitude," says Greg Mitchell, CEO of First PacTrust.

Hans Morris, who left Visa in 2009 and joined private-equity firm General Atlantic, shared his payments investing philosophy with bankers and former colleagues on Monday night.

The Virginia company will have a retooled ownership, a new director and more capital after a private placement and rights offering. While Hampton Roads' private equity investors will own 90% of the company following those moves, early indications are that those companies are content with management's progress purging bad loans and cutting costs.

Northeast Community Bancorp (NECB) in White Plains, N.Y., is opening a fourth branch in Massachusetts as part of its continued expansion in the suburbs surrounding Boston.

Many bank buyers will stay on the sidelines until Dodd-Frank rules are written and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's agenda is clearer, industry experts say.

Barclays PLC (BCS) is looking to sell all its Italian branches in an attempt to focus more on core activities to boost its profitability, a person familiar with the matter told Dow Jones Newswires on Tuesday.

Former Salomon Brothers trading star Valerie Thompson used investment banking as the backdrop to her steamy new novel.

The Alabama company’s management team used a conference appearance to discuss plans to expand in credit cards and auto lending, while assuring investors that it has turned the corner in the Southeast.

The federal agencies treat PE players as "slippery" characters, impose "draconian" limits on them and make the troubled European economy more appealing for bank deals, investor Ross says.

A breakdown of M&A announcements for the week ended May 19.

Daryl Byrd, the CEO of Iberiabank (IBKC) says a wave of bank mergers is inevitable and will be larger than expected. Rusty Cloutier, his counterpart at MidSouth Bancorp (MSL), says a lack of able buyers is miring consolidation.

Green Dot Corp. said Monday that it has signed a new multi-year distribution deal with Dollar Tree Inc. and extended its contracts with other partners.