WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — West Bancorporation Inc. has reported a $6.4 million third-quarter 2017 net income, marking the company's highest-ever net income for a third quarter.

DUBUQUE, Iowa — Heartland Financial USA Inc. and First Bank Lubbock Banishers Inc. have agreed to a merger in which FBLB and its wholly owned subsidiary will acquire FirstBank & Trust.

Iowa-headquartered FBL Financial Group -- which specializes in marketing and underwriting life insurance and annuities -- has named a new director and announced its quarterly cash dividend.

Des Moines-based Principal Financial Group Inc. has released its latest business projections for 2018 — along with a revised report on capital deployment plans for the year — to deliver a clearer picture of anticipated earnings growth.

Three major firms — Nationwide, J.P. Morgan and Annexus — shared the spotlight recently in Des Moines, Iowa’s SRP Americas Indexed Insurance Forum 2017, celebrating joint status as “Deal of the Year” recipients at the annual event.

An Iowa-based banking corporation is seeing a weakness in the state's agricultural economy due to low grain prices, but its substantially lower third-quarter loans losses are not related to that sector.

A North Dakota-headquartered insurance holding company has announced increased net losses for the third quarter of 2017 compared to the same period last year.

Black Hills Corp., based in Rapid City, South Dakota, recently issued its third quarter 2017 results, additionally offering earnings guidance updates including news of a dividend increase and plan to discontinue oil and gas work.

Alerus Financial Corp. reported a rise in net income for the third quarter of 2017.

Shareholders of Great Western Bancorp Inc. received positive news in late October and a pre-Thanksgiving financial boost.

Increased occupancy helped Investors Real Estate Trust (IRET), headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, to post 3.8 percent revenue growth for the second the quarter of its 2018 fiscal year.

EMC Insurance Companies, with headquarters in Des Moines, recently entered into an agreement with additional local firms InfraDrone LLC and Jester Insurance Services to provide inspections by drones that utilize technology to protect building integrity.

Wells Fargo & Co. has launched a Holiday Food Bank program that will include food donation bins at its 6,000 retail banking branches, deploying mobile food donation banks and granting $5 million to the United Way.

The Bank of North Dakota has an excellent credit rating, according to a press release on the bank’s website regarding last month's rating by Standard & Poor.

Alerus Financial Corp.'s board of directors approved a cash dividend payable on Jan. 12 to shareholders as of close of business on Dec. 22.