Put aside the bellyaching about the disappointing deals market. Focus instead on creative deals, nontraditional acquisitions and the nuances of what can be done within current regulations and economic realities, experts will advise at American Banker's M&A conference Monday and Tuesday.

American InfoSource LP, a Houston-based global financial services firm, on Thursday announced the acquisition of Ascension Capital Group Inc. (ACG), the bankruptcy servicing arm of debt buyer Encore Capital Group. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

China Construction Bank Corp., one of China's biggest banks, acquired the Brazilian assets of German bank WestLB AG for an undisclosed amount, local newspaper Valor Economico reported Friday.

Avoid the bluster and the defensiveness, and focus on communication and steps to improve the bank, veterans of activist investor fights like John Palmer of PL Capital advise.

Porter Bancorp's shareholders have granted the struggling company more flexibility to raise capital to meet the demands of regulators.

Capitol City Bank, a minority-owned bank in Atlanta that is under orders from its regulators to add fresh capital, is getting a shot in the arm from SunTrust Banks (STI).

New York Community, FirstMerit and BB&T see lots of banks for sale but few worth buying, top executives said at London investor conference.

Two Massachusetts thrifts that are planning to merge next quarter have decided on a new name for the combined company.

The Center for Discovery provides care for disabled and autistic children, including Ellen Alemany's daughter. This week it honored the Citizens CEO and fifth most powerful woman in banking.

Prosperity Banchares’ deal to buy East Texas Financial Services is on hold after another bank holding company that owns a stake in the $212 million-asset East Texas filed a lawsuit to block the sale.

Grand American Resources Inc., a Grand Marais, Minn.-based collection agency, will collect unpaid fees from former inmates of the Houston County (Minn.) jail under a one-year contract approved by county commissioners.

MetroCorp Bancshares Inc.'s (MCBI) public offering of 4.45 million common shares priced at a 7.4% discount to Wednesday's close.

Demand for bank stocks is up this year, but Wall Street is showing reluctance to fund a certain kind of lender: Community banks with dim prospects for making acquisitions. MetroCorp Bancshares of Houston, First Community of Lexington, S.C., and Northeast Bancorp of Lewiston, Maine all find themselves in this situation.

Central Bank in Stillwater, Minn., is buying another distressed bank. It has a deal to buy the struggling Bank of Naples in Florida.

Bank of America is taking its small Florida pilot short-sale incentive program national.

When Residential Capital Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this week it left behind a trail of unsecured creditors with claims totaling well over $1 billion, according to court documents.

Bank of Montreal's (BMO) private-client group is eyeing Singapore for wealth-management operations as it expands its wealth footprint in Asia.

First Federal Savings Bank in Elizabethtown, Ky., is planning to sell four more of its branches as part of its ongoing effort to beef up its capital levels.

At least two bank advisory firms are structuring pools of nonperforming assets for community banks. The pools give the sellers a better chance of attracting buyers, who generally prefer buying assets in bigger lots.