Flagship Community Bank in Florida is facing pressure from its biggest shareholder to sell itself, either for cash or stock in a publicly held buyer. Management, however, believes the bank will fetch a better price if given time to improve profitability.

Scale is the goal of many banks dealing with compliance costs and revenue constraints. Success requires investing in management and systems without sacrificing culture.

National Commerce in Birmingham, Ala., has issued $25 million in subordinated debt.

State Bank in Atlanta convinced a jittery seller to work out a deal by promising to do an all-cash purchase if its own stock faltered.

Severn Bancorp in Annapolis, Md., has partially redeemed outstanding shares tied to the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

California Bank of Commerce in Lafayette has raised $9 million to help it exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

First Citizens BancShares in Raleigh, N.C., has agreed to buy Cordia Bancorp in Midlothian, Va.

Royal Bank of Canada has plucked away executives from Wells Fargo and Credit Suisse to be the co-heads of its consumer investment banking business, according to a news report.

Banc of California’s shareholders delivered a pair of rebukes for the Irvine company’s management.

UMB Financial took its lumps last year when its funds management business suffered from large outflows. The challenge prompted UMB to tighten up on expenses and rely more on revenue tied to its balance sheet.

Banks need to be self-critical in evaluating a growth strategy’s chance of success while realizing that it’s hard to rebound from a growth failure.

Shareholders at KeyCorp in Cleveland soundly rejected a proposal to separate the chairman and chief executive roles.

State Bank Financial in Atlanta has agreed to buy S Bankshares in Glennville, Ga.

The $420 million-asset company said in a press release Thursday that Keith Costello, who formed Broward Bank of Commerce in Fort Lauderdale in 2009, will succeed Ken LaRoe as chief executive of First Green Bank.

Simmons First National in Pine Bluff, Ark., has agreed to buy Citizens National Bancorp in Athens, Tenn.

HCSB Financial in South Carolina recently raised $45 million from a group led by Castle Creek Capital Partners, showing that big investors are still comfortable placing bets on financial firms. The challenge for banks like HCSB will be to find ways to put that capital to work years after other institutions were able to start playing offense.

BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., plans to cut 240 jobs and close 28 branches as part of its integration of National Penn Bancshares.

Six years ago the family that controlled Home State Bancorp in Colorado said they were in it for the long haul. But, after a methodical review process tied to estate planning, family members decided to cash in their holdings.

Grant Bancshares in Natchitoches, La., has agreed to buy Tri-State Bank and Trust in Haughton, La.

Chatter about a potential sale of Comerica has raised questions about how regulators would vet the sale of a large institution. Here's a look at some of the biggest banks to sell since the financial crisis, ranked by asset size.