The $2.9 billion-asset company's third-quarter earnings more than tripled from the second quarter, which included upfront merger-related expenses, and rose 72% from a year earlier, to $5.9 million.

The Mississippi company withdrew two merger applications in August after the FDIC targeted its Bank Secrecy Act compliance. Management says it has made significant progress and is looking forward to a follow-up exam early next year.

Wilshire Bancorp in Los Angeles reported higher quarterly profit that was boosted by recent acquisitions.

ServisFirst Bancshares in Birmingham, Ala., has agreed to buy Metro Bancshares in Atlanta.

BNC Bancorp in High Point, N.C., increased profits by nearly two-thirds thanks to higher net interest income and other factors.

PL Capital, upset that Metro Bancorp refuses to sell itself, has launched a proxy battle to gain two board seats at the Harrisburg, Pa., company.

The $1.5 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday that Kathryn Pemble had become its Florida market president.

Riverview Bancorp in Vancouver, Wash., is facing pressure from a large investor to sell itself.

Bank of Marin Bancorp in Novato, Calif., reported a significant increase in quarterly profit following an acquisition and organic growth.

René Jones, CFO of the Buffalo, N.Y., bank, artfully dodged more than a dozen versions of the same question from analysts: when, and if, is M&T's deal to buy Hudson City Bancorp going to get done?

HCBF Holding in Fort Pierce, Fla., has agreed to acquire First America Holding in Bradenton, Fla.

Pinnacle Bancorp in Central City, Neb., has agreed to buy Home State Bank in Louisville, Neb.

Third-quarter earnings at Fidelity Southern in Atlanta increased after it completed a recent acquisition in Florida.

Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, reported lower third-quarter earnings despite an uptick in revenue. The culprit was its nearly $23 million in special expenses.

Morgan Stanley reported earnings that almost doubled, beating analysts' estimates, on a 9 percent jump in revenue from trading stocks and bonds.

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., reported third-quarter earnings of $40.2 million, as increases in interest and fee income were partially offset by heavier expenses.

The $1.1 billion-asset Starion did not disclose the terms of its deal for WPS Community, a federally chartered thrift with $98 million in assets.

AmericanWest is buying Bank of Sacramento for $60 million in cash. Although the deal was being negotiated well before the recent market sell-off, it serves as a good example of the comfort of a fixed cash price.

Acquisitions buoyed third-quarter earnings at Home BancShares in Conway, Ark. The $7.2 billion-asset company reported Thursday that it earned $27.4 million, up roughly 49% from a year earlier.

Profits at Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., rose in the third quarter, on gains from its recent acquisition of Sterling Financial.