Jim Dobbs

The Maryland bank is merging with Linkbancorp in a nearly $168 million deal that would create a $3 billion-asset company. The transaction comes just months after OceanFirst Financial and Partners nixed their merger plan, citing regulatory delays.

Buckeye State Bancshares near Columbus said it would buy cross-state rival Rockhold Bancshares. Only six such deals were announced in January, making it the slowest first month of a year for M&A since the financial crisis.

Brady Torgerson, former president of First Security Bank-West, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud at two banks.

Banks expect strong global consumption of U.S. oil and gas, driven in part by the supply strain that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In the aftermath of Louisiana's largest bank failure, Ashton Ryan Jr. was convicted on all 46 counts against him. U.S. Attorney Duane Evans called the case a "theft of epic proportions."

Albuquerque-based One Hope Financial Institution will focus on small-business owners who have been historically excluded from traditional banking services.

The two banks are now targeting May 27, three months later than their previous goal. The transaction, which would create a top-six U.S. bank by asset size, was originally expected to be completed last fall.

Adelphi Bank in Columbus was given the green light by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to open.

Bank executives are slowing their momentum across commercial and consumer lending segments, a Federal Reserve report finds. Many still expect growth this year, but not as much as in 2022.

Thomas Zernick will become chief executive of the Florida bank when Anthony Leo retires at the start of 2024.

Executives cited uncertainty created by surging interest rates, heightened regulatory scrutiny and the potential for a recession.

The bank, which is beleaguered by digital-asset portfolio forced loan charge-offs that led to a loss in the third quarter and for the full year, climbed to a net income of $2.7 million for the fourth quarter.

The Radnor, Pennsylvania-based financial technology company made an unsuccessful bid to buy a bank. Now it is shifting into expense-reduction mode.

Indexes show heightened expectations for a recession and souring loans. But executives are upbeat about middle-market businesses and overall job growth.

The Oklahoma bank grew fourth-quarter loans at a steady rate and said its regional economy is solid. But it is closely watching the impact of rising senior-care costs.

With the $7.5 billion acquisition, the Minneapolis bank bolstered its customer base in the nation's most populous state by more than 1 million. Earnings accretion from the combination could offset slower loan growth this year.

Members of the American Bankers Association's Economic Advisory Committee expect gross domestic product to stall in 2023. Other surveys show a modest contraction. Lenders say sentiment among their borrowers also points to a slight slowdown.

The Ohio bank posted strong fourth-quarter earnings and, while it expects activity to ease some, it envisions continued strong loan growth in the year ahead.

Lending momentum and robust interest income powered earnings, but the Georgia bank expects deposit cost increases to weigh on its net interest margin.

The Pittsburgh bank posted a solid profit and said that it expects continued loan growth. But the pace of business expansion could slow alongside an economic downturn.