PacWest Bancorp in Los Angeles reported higher quarterly earnings aided by its acquisition of CapitalSource.

Aided by gains in fee income, lower expenses and double-digit commercial loan growth, FirstMerit in Akron, Ohio, reported a profit of $59.5 million in the second quarter, up nearly 23% from the same period in last year.

First Merchants in Muncie, Ind., has agreed to buy Community Bancshares in Noblesville, Ind.

Wilshire Bancorp (WIBC) in Los Angeles reported an increase in quarterly profit tied largely to recent acquisitions.

Astoria Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., has agreed to sell certain nonperforming loans to Credit Suisse at a nearly $9 million loss.

CIT Group, the commercial lender led by John A. Thain, agreed to buy OneWest Bank parent IMB Holdco for $3.4 billion, attaching a regional bank to a national loan platform in an effort to boost profit.

BancorpSouth has delayed the closing of two bank acquisitions after regulators took issue with the Tupelo, Miss., company's compliance programs.

Cardtronics Inc. (CATM) is set to buy Welch ATM for $160 million, expanding the ATM provider with an additional 26,000 kiosks.

Regulators on Friday closed Eastside Commercial Bank in Conyers, Ga., the 13th institution to fail this year.

Mackinac Financial (MFNC) in Manistique, Mich., has agreed to buy Peninsula Financial in Ishpeming, Mich.

Synchrony Financial, the consumer- credit business being spun off by General Electric Co., is seeking a market value of as much as $22 billion in what may be the biggest U.S. initial public offering this year.

A community group has succeeded in forcing additional scrutiny of Banc of California's (BANC) expansion plans.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp., under pressure from activist Nelson Peltz to lift its share price, said second-quarter net income declined as the world's largest custody bank eliminated jobs to cut costs.

Sierra Bancorp (BSRR) in Porterville, Calif., has agreed to buy Santa Clara Valley Bank (SCVE) in Santa Paula, Calif.

Home BancShares (HOMB) in Conway, Ark., got a big boost last quarter from a recent acquisition.

Aided by gains from a recent acquisition, Simmons First National (SFN) in Pine Bluff, Ark., reported a $9.9 million profit in the second quarter, a 51% increase from the same period last year.

First National Bank of Southern California in Riverside and First Mountain Bank (FMBP) in Big Bear Lake, Calif., have terminated their planned merger.

First Interstate BancSystem (FIBK) in Billings, Mont., will close eight branches after it acquires Mountain West Financial (MTWF) in Helena, Mont.

Trust-preferred creditors have forced two indebted bank holding companies into involuntary bankruptcy this summer. Secured lenders may soon follow their lead and start foreclosing on bank stock collateral.

KeyCorp (KEY) in Cleveland has agreed to buy Pacific Crest Securities, a technology-focused investment bank and capital markets firm.