Shareholders who hoped proxy firms ISS and Glass Lewis would help them decide on Bond Street's controversial $5-per-share offer for Atlantic Coast Financial in Florida are out of luck: ISS says "aye," while Glass Lewis says "nay."

Texas State Bankshares in Harlingen has agreed to buy Border Capital Group in McAllen in a merger of South Texas lenders.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. exercised its powers to appoint itself the receiver to circumvent a judge's ruling that barred Nevada regulators from closing a tiny bank belonging to Capitol Bancorp.

Taylor Capital Group in Chicago has hired a new chief compliance officer for Cole Taylor Bank.

Waterstone Financial (WSBF) in Wauwatosa, Wis., is planning a second-step conversion.

Lowering overhead (relative to assets) would be a powerful motivator for a bank to get big, fast. But the savings just aren't there.

First PacTrust Bancorp in Irvine, Calif., is planning to raise more than $40 million through a sale of preferred shares.

Atlantic Coast Financial Corp. has settled litigation with shareholders who objected the terms of its proposed merger with Bond Street Holdings.

Virginia Heritage Bank in Tysons Corner has begun a common stock offering.

They have spent the last few years building mass through acquisitions, but AmericanWest Bank and First PacTrust Bancorp are now shedding the nonessential parts.

Haven Bancorp in Hoboken has agreed to buy Hilltop Community Bancorp (HTBC) in Summit in a merger of New Jersey banks.

McColl Partners, an investment firm formed by retired Bank of America Chief Executive Hugh McColl, could be looking to sell.

Investors, analysts and reporters have overestimated the Georgia bank's interest in doing M&A deals, chairman and CEO Kessel Stelling says.

Debt buyer Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc., based in Norfolk, Va., announced that James A. Nussle has been appointed by the company's board of directors to serve as an independent director.

The $555 billion-asset Canadian company announced Tuesday that Costello plans to retire as its U.S. country head and as president and chief executive of its BMO Financial unit in Chicago.

QCR Holdings in Moline, Ill., has agreed to sell two branches to Clear Lake Bank & Trust in Iowa.

The U.S. revival in collateralized loan obligations had spread to Europe -- until an American-style fight over how much "skin in the game" should be kept by CLO managers crept across the pond, too.

Taylor Capital Group (TAYC) in Chicago plans to enter the mortgage-servicing business through the purchase of servicing rights and facilities from Liberty Savings Bank of Wilmington, Ohio.

Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., has agreed to buy Financial Pacific Holding in Federal Way, Wash.

The $76 million-asset lender raised the sum from local investors. It began the effort in October and finished at the end of May, its financial advisor, Community Capital Advisors, announced on Monday.