Paul Davis

The pace of bank M&A deals slowed in the third quarter and was flat through the first nine months of this year.

A looming dividend spike tied to the Small Business Lending Fund convinced Hopewell Valley Community Bank in Pennington, N.J., to sell itself.

Hancock Holding in Gulfport, Miss., has agreed to buy a portfolio of health care loans from United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga.

The $210 billion-asset company said in a press release Friday that CRC Insurance Services, its wholesale insurance unit, would buy Connecticut Underwriters Inc. in Middletown.

Kabbage is one of many nonbank lenders looking to partner with traditional financial institutions. But the firm is facing a tough sell with bankers who worry about the risks associated with ceding control of the loan-underwriting process.

C1 Financial in St. Petersburg, Fla., is reportedly looking to sell itself.

Town and Country Financial in Springfield, Ill., has agreed to buy the parent of Premier Bank of Jacksonville in Illinois.

Ameris Bancorp in Moultrie, Ga., has agreed to buy Jacksonville Bancorp in Florida.

Community banks merit more regulatory relief, particularly those that hold mortgage originations. That was a key message from James Bullard, St. Louis Fed president, during a community banking conference in St. Louis hosted by the Federal Reserve Board and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.

Bankers need to show they are in control of relationships with outside vendors, must be ready to respond to M&A-related protests and should be as concerned about economic growth as interest rates, according to the St. Louis Fed's supervisory chief.

Great Southern Bancorp in Springfield, Mo., has agreed to buy 12 branches around St. Louis from Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati.

OFG Bancorp in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will record a pretax loss of roughly $21 million after its sells all remaining nonperforming assets from its 2010 purchase of the failed Eurobank.

Bank of Hawaii in Honolulu is getting out of the aircraft leasing business.

First Midwest Bancorp in Itasca, Ill., has agreed to buy Peoples' Bank of Arlington Heights in Illinois.

Kent Wiechert, owner of Weststar Mortgage in Albuquerque, N.M., has acquired Goldwater Bank in Scottsdale, Ariz.

California Bank of Commerce in Lafayette, Calif., has agreed to buy Pan Pacific Bank in Fremont, Calif.

There were doubts that CommunityOne could survive in 2011, even with the help of private equity and cooperation from regulators. Four years later, the North Carolina company is again profitable and healthy enough to consider acquisitions.

NexTier in Butler, Pa., has agreed to buy Eureka Financial in Pittsburgh.

Barre Savings Bank in Barre, Mass., has agreed to merge with Fidelity Bank in Leominster, Mass.

FS Bancorp in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., has agreed to buy four branches in Washington from Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C.