Jim Dobbs

The cash-and-stock bid for Enterprise Bancorp is expected to close in the second half of 2025. In connection with the deal, Independent plans to raise about $250 million in subordinated debt.

Net closings rose to the highest quarterly level in nearly three years. As M&A rebounds, banks are also trimming their physical footprints as customer demand for digital services overshadow in-person transactions.

The Greenville, South Carolina-based company said it would pay $80 million in stock to acquire ANB Holdings and its Miami-area bank.

Several companies filled leadership posts throughout the country, including Clarion County Community Bank's hiring of Travis Heiser to become its CEO.

Median growth among small U.S. lenders was 1.2% for the third quarter. Bankers are hoping lower interest rates will boost demand, but borrowers aren't jumping.

St. Paul, Minnesota-based Bremer Financial agreed to sell for $1.4 billion in cash and stock. It followed a yearslong legal battle between the bank and its largest shareholder that ended with a settlement this year.

Analysts say lenders' shares could rally on deregulation, lighter tax burdens and a resurgence of M&A. Declining interest rates and lower loan losses could further bolster bottom lines and attract investor interest.

Lower borrowing costs, reduced exposure to the urban office sector and flattening vacancy rates could collectively save lenders from beleaguered corners of the commercial real estate market.

Agriculture lenders expect more than a third of their borrowers to lose money this year, a development that could result in credit quality deterioration and impacts on banks' bottom lines.

Senior loan officers polled by the Federal Reserve reported that they further upped their standards for approving credit for customers. But they also signaled that concerns are easing and credit quality is poised for improvement.

DFCU Financial reached a deal to acquire Winter Park National Bank in the Orlando metropolitan area. It was a record 20th credit union-bank merger of the year.

The Honolulu-based seller had faced pushback from an investor group that stepped in with a competing offer. But it ultimately secured enough votes to approve the sale to Hope Bancorp.

Multiple lenders filled leadership roles across the country, including National Bankshares in Virginia, while Peoples Financial in Pennsylvania said its CEO would step down.

The buyer said it would pay $127 million in stock to acquire William Penn Bancorp in suburban Bristol, Pennsylvania.

The Honolulu-based banks were reportedly in advanced discussions. But the would-be buyer said "the parties are no longer currently engaged in discussions."

The $24 billion-asset bank fully integrated its acquisition of Lakeland Bancorp during the third quarter, and that milestone has positioned the bank for growth, executives said.

The Honolulu-based seller, which plans a Nov. 6 shareholder vote on the deal, posted a third-quarter loss and reiterated its commitment to the Hope agreement. But an offer with a higher price from an investor group is also on the table.

The bank cut its dividend, raised capital, hired multiple top executives and vowed to reduce its commercial real estate concentration after a bruising first half of 2024.

Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, said it would acquire First State Bank of the Southeast in Middlesboro, Kentucky. It was the 19th such deal announced this year.

Other acquisitive executives, however, say that interest rate cuts have hastened already-active deal discussions, as more banks seek scale and business line diversity.