Economic shifts are driving community banks back into the mortgage-purchase market, but the very same forces are squelching demand. So small banks will have to start buying established mortgage originators — if PE firms don't buy the same targets first.

Zions Bancorp. in Salt Lake City has raised $87.9 million in a sale of subordinated notes.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has lifted a consent order with Seattle Bank, which recently added $10 million of capital.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

Chemical Financial (CHFC) in Midland, Mich., could raise up to $57.5 million through its recently announced stock offering, according to pricing information released Friday.

Midland States Bancorp in Effingham, Ill., has agreed to buy Heartland Bank in St. Louis from Love Savings Holding Co.

Midland States Bank in Effingham, Ill., is reportedly close to buying Heartland Bank in St. Louis.

Umpqua Holdings' agreement to buy Sterling Financial is the latest in a series of deals this year to pair similarly sized banks, creating a new crop of midsize financial institutions.

The $3.6 billion-asset Simmons First said Thursday that it plans to pay $53.6 million in cash for the Little Rock, Ark., bank.

The Treasury Department plans to auction nearly $118 million of shares in six lenders as it continues to wind down the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Landmark Community Bank in Collierville, Tenn., has agreed to acquire the central Tennessee assets of Cadence Bank, according to a report.

Sober presentations from CEOs normally dominate the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference in New York, but instant interactive polls and a piano-bar soundtrack gave this year's get-together an offbeat feel.

An activist investor with a reputation for pressuring management teams is pushing for a seat on the board of Malvern Federal Bancorp in Paoli, Pa.

Atlantic Coast Financial (ACFC) in Jacksonville, Fla., plans to sell $46 million in common stock. The move, disclosed in a Tuesday regulatory filing, follows a tumultuous period for the $743 million-asset company.

BankUnited (BKU) in Miami Lakes, Fla., is ready for some football. The $13 billion-asset company announced Thursday that it has become an "official partner" of the New York Jets.

Umpqua Holdings (UMPQ) in Portland, Ore., has agreed to buy Sterling Financial (STSA) in Spokane, Wash.

The $5.8 billion-asset Chemical has begun a public offering of its common stock that seeks to raise $50 million, it announced Wednesday after the market closed. All of the shares are being offered by the company.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is selling the last of the Citigroup (NYSE:C) stake that the U.S. government acquired during the financial crisis.

UMB Financial (UMBF) seeks to raise up to $242.2 million next week from a common stock offering that priced Tuesday.

American Express (AXP) is selling its high-end glossies to Time Inc. in order to comply with federal regulations.