Banking & Finance

Milwaukee-based A. O. Smith Corp. on Monday approved a 20-percent increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend to 24 cents per share.

Chicago-based Northern Trust Corp. today reported first quarter net income of $164 million, or 67 cents per share, up 2 percent from $161.2 million, or 66 cents per share, from the first quarter of 2012.

Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp reported today that its first quarter earnings rose 6.7 percent. Net earnings rose to $1.43 billion, or 73 cents per share, for the first quarter ended March 31, from $1.34 billion, or 67 cents per share, a year earlier.
However, revenue for the quarter fell 1.1 percent to $4.87 billion.

“The Stock Market of 2013” will be the subject of a Milwaukee Press Club Newsmaker Luncheon to take place on Wednesday, May 1, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

New Berlin-based Home Care Medical Inc. a provider of home medical equipment and supplies; respiratory care; and home infusion and specialized nutrition, announced that it has acquired Sheboygan-based HomeCare Resources LLC.

Westbury Bancorp Inc., the West Bend-based holding company for Westbury Bank, has completed its stock offering in connection with the mutual-to-stock conversion of WBSB Bancorp MHC.

Employee-owned Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. announced it has posted record net revenues of $961 million in 2012, up from $925 million in 2011.

McGladrey LLP, a Chicago-based provider of assurance, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market, has named John LeBlanc as national leader of business performance improvement and merger integration, based in the firm's Milwaukee office.

Milwaukee-based Lakeview Equity Partners LLC has acquired UAS Laboratories Inc., an Edina, Minn.-based pioneer in the research, development and manufacture of probiotic nutritional supplements.

Several local businesses are working with students to improve financial literacy rates.