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U.S. troubled loans held by banks declined for the first time in more than four years, pushing bank industry earnings up to $21.6 billion in the second quarter.

Wells Fargo & Co and US Bancorp, two of the largest banks in the United States, said rising loan demand helped lift their earnings more than analysts had expected.

Wells Fargo & Co , the fourth-largest U.S. bank, posted higher-than-expected quarterly earnings, helped by declining losses on commercial and consumer loans.

Wells Fargo & Co will no longer offer free checking for all new customers opening accounts at the bank, a company spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday.

Wells Fargo & Co, the fourth-largest U.S. bank by assets, said on Wednesday it is closing more than 600 Wells Fargo Financial offices and will no longer originate non-prime mortgages.

Wells Fargo Advisors recently vaulted past Wall Street rivals to become one of the largest U.S. brokerages. Just don't tell its chief executive.

Banks including Wells Fargo & Co reported first-quarter results that showed the loan losses that have plagued the financial sector amid the recession are easing.

Banks including Wells Fargo & Co reported first-quarter results that showed the loan losses that have plagued the financial sector amid the recession are easing.

Raymond James Financial Inc said on Tuesday that it has reached a confidential settlement in a brokerage raiding case with Wells Fargo & Co .

Nearly 30 bankers from more than a dozen financial companies have been named by the federal government as suspected co-conspirators in a broad investigation into pricing of certain municipal derivatives, according to court documents.

The Wachovia Bank unit of Wells Fargo & Co is in talks with the U.S. Justice Department to settle complaints relating to the alleged failure in bank controls that enabled Mexican exchange houses to launder drug money, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the situation.

Wachovia Bank is in talks with the U.S. Justice Department to settle complaints relating to the alleged failure in bank controls that enabled Mexican exchange houses to launder drug money, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the situation.

Wells Fargo & Co may be moving toward a settlement of Baltimore's lawsuit accusing it of steering minority borrowers to expensive home loans.

Benjamin F. Edwards & Co recruited a team of veteran A.G. Edwards financial advisers from their new owners, Wells Fargo & Co.

Wells Fargo & Co's brokerage expects to add more than 1,400 financial advisers this year through a combination of poaching from rivals and training rookie brokers.

U.S. retail brokerages posted mixed fourth-quarter profits as higher merger and recruiting expenses offset growing management fees and a market-fueled increase in client assets.

In a sign that the U.S. banking sector's problems are far from over, lenders including Bank of America Corp reported falling bond trading revenue and mortgage lending weakness in the fourth quarter.

Wells Fargo & Co and U.S. Bancorp reported better-than-forecast quarterly earnings, helped by recent acquisitions, while larger rival Bank of America Corp got a boost from Merrill Lynch.

U.S. retail brokerages modestly boosted fourth-quarter profits as higher merger and recruiting expenses largely offset growing management fees and a market-fueled increase in client assets.

Wells Fargo & Co and U.S. Bancorp reported better-than-forecast quarterly earnings, helped by recent acquisitions, while larger rival Bank of America Corp got a boost from Merrill Lynch.

Prudential Financial Inc said on Thursday it completed the planned sale of its minority stake in a retail brokerage to Wells Fargo & Co for $4.5 billion in cash.

Prudential Financial Inc(PRU.N) said on Thursday it completed the planned sale of itsminority stake in a retail brokerage to Wells Fargo & Co(WFC.N) for $4.5 billion in cash.

Ravaged by dwindling music sales and rampant piracy, major music companies are bulking up expertise in an area of the business they used to ignore: T-shirts, baseball caps and other artist merchandise.

The U.S. Treasury delayed a plan to sell its $5 billion of Citigroup Inc shares after a stock offering by the bank attracted weak demand and priced at a much lower-than-expected $3.15 a share.

Citigroup Inc is selling shares at $3.15 apiece, far less than the $3.25 price at which the government bought them earlier this year, and the United States has decided not to sell shares, people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

Prudential Financial Inc said on Wednesday it expects the sale of its minority stake in Wachovia Securities to produce a $1.5 billion after-tax gain.

Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) will buy Prudential Financial Inc's (PRU.N) minority stake in retail brokerage joint venture Wells Fargo Advisors for $4.5 billion, the companies said on Tuesday.

Wells Fargo & Co sold $10.65 billion in stock on Tuesday to help repay a $25 billion bailout received from the U.S. government last year.

Image Entertainment Inc (DISK.O) said it may be forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it defaulted on payment under convertible note and it was exploring strategic alternatives.