The Georgia company has been cutting costs, while reinvesting funds in new businesses and technology. While the moves are doing little to increase near-term return on assets, they could help Synovus improve its longer-term performance.

MB Financial's first-quarter profit rose nearly 71% from the same period last year, but lower-than-expected loan growth and expenses related to its acquisition of Taylor Capital late last year caused it to miss earnings-per-share projections.

The first quarter was another banner one for Signature Bank in New York, which reported record net income of $83.4 million, topping its 2014 first-quarter results by 26%.

Rabobank in Roseville, Calif., has agreed to sell a branch in California to Plumas Bancorp in Quincy, Calif.

General Electric Co. is in talks to sell its biggest lending operation, a $74 billion unit that provides loans to midsize U.S. businesses, Dow Jones reported citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.

A pair of senior banking analysts has left Sterne Agee to join Piper Jaffray. Mathew Kelley and Matthew Breese will oversee Piper Jaffray's equity research for depository institutions in the Northeast.

As branch transactions continue to decline, banks are increasingly requiring expertise in an area they paid less attention to in the past: digital design. BBVA and Capital One's recent purchases of user-experience and design firms underscore the increasingly important trend.

Chemical Financial has retooled its organizational structure as part of the Midland, Mich., company's succession planning.

Californians are entering the fourth year of drought, forcing bankers to seriously consider the long-term implications for farmers and other industries. In some instances, banks are reviewing and changing underwriting practices to address risk.

CenterState Banks in Davenport, Fla., has agreed to buy a branch from the parent of SouthBank in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

M&T Bank in Buffalo, N.Y., reported an increase in its first-quarter profit on the strength of higher mortgage banking revenue, but its results fell well short of analysts’ estimates as loan growth failed to meet expectations.

HSBC Holdings Plc will consider whether to move its headquarters from London once the regulatory environment becomes clearer, Chairman Douglas Flint said.

OFG Bancorp in San Juan, Puerto Rico, said it will record a $24 million provision tied to a loan participation it placed on nonaccrual status.

Coastal Financial and Prime Pacific Financial Services, each based in Snohomish County, Wash., have agreed to merge.

The California company is dealing with a pool of stressed energy loans it inherited from last year's purchase of CapitalSource. The pain shouldn't make the deal less appealing, but it is likely taking up more time than management may have expected.

Associated Banc-Corp in Green Bay, Wis., reported a 3.4% increase in profits in the first quarter as fee-income and loan growth helped offset lower margins and higher expenses.

It took Hudson City Bancorp in Paramus, N.J., less than two weeks to decide that it is still committed to selling itself to M&T Bank in Buffalo.

Home Bancshares in Conway, Ark., has bids out to buy three banks that, if successful, would add $2 billion in assets.

Hampton Roads Bankshares in Virginia Beach, Va., plans to merge its banks and change its name to Shore Financial.

Citigroup faced many of the same earnings headwinds as other large banks — lower revenue and lending — but still surprised observers with a strong first quarter Thursday. Its North American consumer business was a big reason why.