First Niagara Financial Group's (FNFG) first-quarter profit rose, as the bank boosted its commercial lending and picked up more checking account customers.

Fifth Third Bancorp's (FITB) first-quarter earnings jumped 62% as results got a boost from the regional lender's gains on the initial public offering of Vantiv Inc. (VNTV) and an improved credit environment.

New York Community Bancorp Inc. on Wednesday posted a 76% first-quarter jump in mortgage banking revenue from a year earlier, as the bank saw robust growth in multi-family and commercial real estate loans.

Costs related to the integration of RBC Bank weighed down PNC's first-quarter earnings, but officials emphasized the acquisition's early — and long-term — benefits.

A proxy battle at First Financial Northwest has gotten nasty after an activist investor labeled the company's leaders as "idiots" who are "deficient in judgment or lacking in character."

Pioneer Bank in Dripping Springs, Texas, has struck its first-ever acquisition, announcing Tuesday that it is buying the $28 million-asset Colorado Valley Bank in LaGrange.

Some analysts believe the time is ripe for second-step conversions by mutual holding companies. Still, some bankers believe the floodgates will remain closed until regulators decide to let MHCs pay a special dividend before converting.

Loans to a wide range of businesses contributed to a nearly 7% increase in lending, executives of the Dallas bank said.

Citigroup has ulterior financial motives in trying to oust Highland as portfolio manager of Liberty CLO, Highland says in a lawsuit against Citi and two other firms.

Bank of America (BAC) is looking to sell its wealth management divisions outside of the U.S., Reuters reported Tuesday.

First-quarter income at Park National (PRK) rose 45%, to $30 million, from a year earlier as the Newark, Ohio, company recorded a gain from the sale of the troubled Vision Bank.

United Community Banks (UCBI) in Blairsville, Ga., has registered the preferred shares it issued to the Treasury Department as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program for potential resale, a key step for banks that want to be included in any upcoming auctions of Tarp shares.

As bank earnings come rolling in, signs of life are reemerging even as the pressure to cut costs remains intense.

According to American folklore, the famously long-legged Abraham Lincoln was once asked: "Abe, how long should a man's legs be?" Lincoln is reported to have answered: "Long enough to reach the ground."

U.S. Bancorp's (USB) first-quarter profit rose 28% as the lender sharply reduced its credit costs and turned in better-than-expected revenue growth.

A breakdown of M&A announcements for the last week

M&T's merger expenses fell 84% in the first quarter from the prior quarter, and the old Wilmington Trust operations contributed to a 3% gain in trust income.

Account Control Technology, a student loan collection agency, plans to expand its location in Warren County, Ohio and add 250 jobs within the next three years.

M&T Bank's (MTB) first-quarter earnings were little changed amid a year-earlier investment gain as it repositioned its balance sheet ahead of its acquisition of Wilmington Trust.

Scores of community banks could soon deregister from the Securities and Exchange Commission due to a clause in the newly signed law. But some lawyers warn that activist investors could take advantage of banks that decide to stop filing documents with the SEC.