Yadkin Financial, a North Carolina community bank, is exploring a sale and working with Sandler O'Neill & Partners to solicit offers, according to people familiar with the matter.

All five directors at Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida in Stuart were re-elected despite a protest vote from the company's biggest investor.

Citigroup will pay $425 million to resolve U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission claims that the bank attempted to manipulate global benchmarks for interest rate products multiple times from 2007 to 2012.

Mackinac Financial in Manistique, Mich., has agreed to buy Niagara Bancorp. in Niagara, Wis.

CenterState in Florida and Union Savings in Connecticut are adding specialists to their retail locations at a time when many other banks are cutting back or have been relying heavily on universal bankers.

RCB Bank in Claremore, Okla., has agreed to buy CornerBank in Winfield, Kan.

The Bancorp in Wilmington, Del., has selected a former Citigroup executive as its next chief executive.

QCR Holdings in Moline, Ill., has agreed to buy Community State Bank in Ankeny, Iowa.

A proxy advisory firm has sided with Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y., in its battle with an activist investor.

LaPorte Bancorp was poring over offers from potential buyers when Raymond James, the company's investment bank, notified LaPorte's board that it was also advising a potential acquirer on a separate deal. LaPorte requested more information before ruling out a potential conflict of interest.

Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, is significantly raising the ante in philanthropic and community development investments connected to its planned acquisition of FirstMerit.

The heads of megabanks get paid a lot. Some investors want them to streamline their companies for greater returns. But it's arguable whether those CEOs would want to do so if their counterparts at smaller, better-performing banks get paid less.

HomeStreet in Seattle has raised $65 million from issuing senior debt. The $4.8 billion-asset company said in a press release Friday that the proceeds from the offering with support growth and other general corporate purposes.

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.