Financial institutions reported $37.6 billion in net income in the third quarter, up more than 6 percent from $35.2 billion in the same period a year ago, according to the Federal Deposits Insurance Corp.'s Quarterly Banking Profile.

BMO Financial Group, the Toronto-based parent company of BMO Harris Bank, reported strong fiscal fourth quarter earnings and a plan to repurchase up to 15 million of its common stock shares.

Jeff Yabuki, president and chief executive officer of Brookfield-based Fiserv Inc., will headline a stellar panel of business executives at the 2013 Northern Trust Economic Trends Breakfast.

First Business Financial Services Inc., the parent company for First Business Bank in Madison and First Business Bank-Milwaukee, announced the closing of its previously announced public offering of 1.1 million shares of common stock at $23.00 per share.

Daniel Nelson, Jr., president of Nelson Schmidt Inc. of Milwaukee and Madison, has been elected president of the board of directors of MAGNET, the Marketing & Advertising Global Network of leading independent advertising agencies.

When BMO Harris Bank acquired Ozaukee Bank in Cedarburg, several Ozaukee employees parted ways with the new organization.

The IBA-Wisconsin will present a seminar on the Affordable Care Act for businesses on Friday, Dec. 21, from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee.

The cover story of the Dec. 17 edition of BizTimes Milwaukee magazine will feature an interview with two experts who will answer employers’ questions about the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.

Welcome to the inaugural BizTimes Best in Business issue.

In mid-November, the International Energy Agency forecasted that “extraordinary growth in oil and natural gas output in the United States will mean that…the United States becomes a net exporter of natural gas by 2020 and is almost self-sufficient in energy, in net terms, by 2035.”

Milwaukee Brewing Company has announced it will install a solar hot water system at its Walker’s Point brewery. The 28-panel system will pre-heat water before it is used for brewing.