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Marketwire - Retail Banking
Marketwire - Retail Banking

• Northern Star Financial, Inc. Reports First Quarter Results
  

  MANKATO, MN--(Marketwire - December 30, 2008) - Northern Star Financial, Inc. (OTCBB: NSBK) today announced results for the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary Northern Star Bank for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.

  Northern Star Financial, Inc., the parent company of Northern Star Bank, reported a net loss of $110,923 in the first quarter ended September 30, 2008 compared with a net loss of $129,893 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008. The basic loss per share of $0.12 for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009 compared with a basic loss per share of $0.16 during the first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008.

• First Asset PowerGen Fund: Press Release
  TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 30, 2008) - First Asset PowerGen Fund (TSX:PGT.UN) announced today that further to the press release of October 22, 2008, the Fund will limit the number of units that may be redeemed in January, 2009 to 10% of the units outstanding as at December 31, 2008. The Manager is of the opinion that a greater amount would have the potential to impair the operation of the Fund. Redemptions will be completed on a pro-rata basis to the extent units tendered for redemption exceed the 10% limit. The valuation date is January 30, 2009. As at December 29, 2008, the net asset value per unit of the Fund was $16.74.
• Sparta Commercial Announces New Revolving Credit Facility
  

  NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - December 30, 2008) - Sparta Commercial Services, Inc. (OTCBB: SRCO) has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Sparta Funding LLC, has entered into a one year, extendable revolving credit agreement with Autobahn Funding Company LLC as lender, and DZ Bank AG Deutsche Zentral-Genossenchaftsbank New York Branch ("DZ Bank") as Administrative Agent and Liquidity Agent. The new credit facility is for the purchase of retail sales and lease contracts secured by new and used powersports vehicles, including motorcycles, select scooters, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and a portion of this facility can also be used to finance municipal and commercial fleet leases. DZ Bank, based in Frankfurt, is the fifth largest bank in Germany, is the central bank for approximately 1,000 cooperative banks and maintains a presence in key financial centers throughout the world.

• Midwest Banc Holdings, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter 2008 Earnings Call
  

  MELROSE PARK, IL--(Marketwire - December 29, 2008) - Midwest Banc Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBHI) announced that it will release fourth quarter 2008 earnings after the market closes on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 and conduct a conference call to discuss these results the following morning, January 28, 2009, at 11:00 A.M. eastern / 10:00 A.M. central.

  The webcast and call will be hosted by members of management. A brief discussion of quarterly results and trends will be followed by questions from institutional investors and analysts invited to participate in the interactive portion of the discussion. Individual owners, brokers and investment bankers can submit questions via email, or call investor relations directly.

• Beach Business Bank Receives Preliminary Approval for TARP Capital Purchase Program
  

  MANHATTAN BEACH, CA--(Marketwire - December 29, 2008) - Beach Business Bank (OTCBB: BBBC) (the "Bank") is pleased to announce that the US Treasury Department ("Treasury") has preliminarily approved the Bank's application to participate in the Capital Purchase Program in the approximate amount of $6 million.

  The Bank is in the process of completing the associated purchase documentation and expects that the sale of preferred shares and warrants to the Treasury will be completed sometime during the month of January 2009, subject to final acceptance by the Treasury.

• The Singapore Fund Announces Fourth Quarter Earnings
  

  JERSEY CITY, NJ--(Marketwire - December 29, 2008) - The Singapore Fund, Inc. (NYSE: SGF), a closed-end management investment company seeking long-term capital appreciation through investment primarily in Singapore equity securities, today announced its performance results for the three months ended October 31, 2008, the fourth quarter of its 2008 fiscal year.

  For the quarter ended October 31, 2008, the Fund earned net investment income of approximately U.S. $774,000 (equivalent to income of U.S. $0.08 per share) resulting in net investment income for the year ended October 31, 2008 of approximately U.S. $2,509,000 (equivalent to income of U.S. $0.27 per share). In addition, net realized and unrealized losses from investment activities and foreign currency transactions during that same three-month period were approximately U.S. $62,263,000 (equivalent to a loss of U.S. $6.63 per share). As a result, the net realized

• Advisor Confidence Improved Moderately in December
  

  Advisors Slightly More Optimistic on the Stock Market Outlook

• The Institutional Research Model Is Broken; AQ Research's Masters of Change Conference Addresses Solutions at 3rd Annual Conference in New York
  

  NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - December 29, 2008) - In a period of unprecedented stress on the institutional research model, money managers, directors of research and global strategists are faced with a retrenchment of research services from the major brokerage houses and fragmentation of other sell-side providers, according to AQ Research, the independent and objective provider of quantitative analysis of equity research providers and sponsor of the AQ Research Masters of Change conference on January 13, 2009 in New York City.

• Washington Federal Announces Net Income Guidance at $.22 per Share for the First Quarter of Fiscal 2009
  

  SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - December 29, 2008) - On December 22, 2008, Washington Federal (NASDAQ: WFSL) announced a decrease in its quarterly cash dividend from 21 cents per share to 5 cents per share. In this release, the Company stated that due to continued deterioration in the general economy and the housing market specifically, it expects to record a provision for loan losses of approximately $35 million and believes that total non-performing assets will be approximately $300 million or 2.43% of total assets for the quarter ending December 31, 2008.

• RHJ International: Honsel Reinforces Restructuring Program to Adapt to Situation in the Automotive Market
  

  BRUSSELS, BELGIUM--(Marketwire - December 29, 2008) -

  
  Please find enclosed the press release issued today by RHJI announcing that its portfolio company, Honsel, issued a release announcing that it has taken action to cope with the consequences of a significant decline in its sales volume. RHJ International (Euronext: RHJI) is a diversified holding company focused on creating long-term value for its shareholders by acquiring and operating businesses in attractive industries. For further information visit www.rhji.com.

• Open EC Technologies, Inc. Cancels Stock Options
  NORTH VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 24, 2008) - Open EC Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE:OCE)-The Company is cancelling stock options with respect to 2,380,834 shares. Following the cancellation the Company will have 712,500 options issued under its rolling 10% stock option plan. The Company has 56,461,235 issued and outstanding common shares. Any future options to director, officers, employees and consultants will be granted, subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, on terms in accordance with the Company's Stock Option Plan and with Exchange policy.
• Barclays Canada Announces Final Annual Reinvested Distributions for the iShares Funds
  TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 24, 2008) - Barclays Global Investors Canada Limited (iShares)(TSX:XBB)(TSX:XCB)(TSX:XCG)(TSX:XCV)(TSX:XDV)(TSX:XEG)(TSX:XFN)(TSX:XGB)(TSX:XGD)(TSX:XIC)(TSX:XIN)(TSX:XIT)(TSX:XIU)(TSX:XLB)(TSX:XMA)(TSX:XMD)(TSX:XRB)(TSX:XRE)(TSX:XSB)(TSX:XSP)(TSX:XTR)(TSX:XSU)(TSX:XEN)(TSX:XCS)(TSX:XCR)(TSX:XGR)(TSX:XGC)(TSX:XAL) - Barclays Global Investors Canada Limited (Barclays C