Jim Dobbs

Fears of a recession intensified after President Trump unveiled his plan to impose a minimum 10% tariff on all U.S. imports, and the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index tumbled by nearly 10%.

Equity Bancshares said it would pay nearly $87 million in cash and stock to acquire NBC Corp. of Oklahoma. If it closes, the deal will be Equity's 13th bank acquisition since 2015.

The proposed sale of Territorial Bancorp faced competing offers that delayed its closing by several months. But Hope ultimately won shareholder and regulatory approvals.

"I can't just go fishing in the ocean," said Grasshopper Bank CEO Michael Butler, referring to his bank's ability to gather deposits. "JPMorgan Chase is out there with a yacht, and I'm driving a small speedboat."

Small lenders across the country, including Forte Bank in Wisconsin, promoted and recruited chief executives in recent weeks.

The Connecticut bank disclosed that Nasdaq waived a shareholder approval requirement so it could urgently raise more than $50 million. Patriot also said its finance chief would step down.

The North Carolina House of Representatives this week passed a measure that would allow credit unions to expand into geographic areas with few, if any, bank branches. Banks say such a change could open the door for credit unions to expand far beyond their limited missions.

The Mississippi lender said regulators have signed off sooner than expected on its $103.6 million acquisition of First Chatham Bank. The bank's CEO and deal advisers said the speedy approval bodes well for future M&A.

The Connecticut bank said its newly minted president, Steven Sugarman, successfully led a private placement and signed a long-term employment agreement that makes him a potential CEO. David Lowery, current chief executive of Patriot, plans to step down in April.

Federal Reserve policymakers said that the U.S. economy remains on sound footing, despite recent setbacks, and that two interest rate cuts lie ahead. Bank stocks advanced on hopes for loan growth and more M&A.