Regional banks

The regional bank's net income rose 37% thanks to those factors and others.

The Waterbury, Conn., company also posted a double-digit gain in net interest income thanks to a 7% increase in commercial loan balances and a widening net interest margin.

The North Carolina company's efforts to contain expenses made up for a marginal increase in revenue.

Results were also aided by strong growth in residential construction, commercial and equipment financing.

A $135 million increase in litigation expenses related to its 2011 acquisition of Wilmington Trust overshadowed a wider net interest margin and improved credit quality for the Buffalo, N.Y., company in the first quarter.

Bankers hoped the tax overhaul would stimulate a boom in business borrowing, but several said this week that hasn’t happened yet. PNC’s Bill Demchak warned that the tax cuts could be encouraging lenders to underprice loans.

The Pittsburgh company reported a 39% gain in retail banking profits amid a lot of strong first-quarter numbers, yet it still fell short of analysts' earnings expectations by a penny and wants to push for stronger loan growth.

James Smith said his late enrollment in the state’s Republican Party meant he would be ineligible to be a candidate in its August primary and that he did not want to disrupt the nomination process.

James Smith said he would decide soon whether he’ll seek the Republican nomination for governor. He said he was inspired partly by his recent work on a commission tasked with recommending fixes to the state’s fiscal and economic problems.

BB&T is the nation's fifth-largest insurance broker. The deal, expected to close in the third quarter, would further expand its reach in the Southeast and Texas.