Performance reports

Republican presidential contenders are off base when they claim the Dodd-Frank Act spurred the decline in community banks, which in fact predated the law.

Bank Leumi's conservatism helped it stay profitable during the financial crisis. The bank, a unit of Leumi Group in Israel, is ready to get more aggressive in areas such as technology lending.

For years, UMB Financial rode fee-income gains from the expansion of its asset management unit to some strong quarters. But the unit's production has waned lately forcing the company to rethink its expense base and management structure.

Monetary incentive plans are vital for keeping your best employees, but sometimes other gestures that cost basically nothing make a bigger impact.

Parke Bancorp in New Jersey decided to sell its SBA lending business when it realized the group had national aspirations. Berkshire Hills Bancorp, a larger bank in Massachusetts, was pleased to buy the unit.

The regulators' annual Shared National Credits review found nearly 10% of large, syndicated credits demonstrated some form of weakness, most of which were leveraged loans. But renewed concerns about energy loans also cropped up.

The CFPB is evaluating whether it should take legal action against the Minnesota company for how it handles overdraft protection. The move comes as TCF takes steps to become less dependent on services charges for fee revenue.

A small, but growing, number of banks reported issues with credit during the third quarter. While most instances seem manageable, some industry observers believe bigger challenges could arise in 2016.

CIT Group, the commercial lender that’s expanded into retail banking, posted profit that beat analysts’ estimates as loans and deposits increased with the acquisition of OneWest Bank Group.

Investors Bancorp in Short Hills, N.J., posted higher profit in the third quarter, with strong interest income growth offsetting higher employee-related costs.

The company recently created a collateralized-debt obligation backed by bank debt, bringing to mind the types of structured investments that plagued smaller banks a few years ago. This time, StoneCastle will hold all the credit risk, instead of selling it off to banks. The CDOs are backed by relatively straightforward sub debt rather than hybrid securities.

First Citizens Bancshares in Raleigh, N.C., reported an improvement in third-quarter profit thanks to the benefits of M&A and organic growth.

KeyCorp, Ohio's second-largest bank, has agreed to buy First Niagara Financial Group Inc. in a $4.1 billion cash-and-stock deal that extends the company's reach in upstate New York.

Great Western Bancorp in Sioux Falls, S.D., reported higher quarterly profit on loan growth and improved efficiency.

The auto lender has changed the way it calculates its closely-watched provision for credit losses, a move that added to third-quarter profits and raised questions about the transparency of its loan book.

United Bankshares in Charleston, W.Va., recorded profit growth in the third quarter on higher average earning assets.

Ally Financial in Detroit drew more deposits into its online bank last quarter, which helped improve its lending margin even as profits declined.

BOK Financial in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reported a small drop in third-quarter profit, as a decline in the value of mortgage servicing rights offset loan and fee income growth.

Valley National Bancorp in Wayne, N.J., reported a jump in third-quarter earnings on growth in lending and fee income.

Cullen/Frost Bankers in San Antonio reported higher third-quarter profit, reflecting loan growth and increased fee income.