Paul Davis

An $378 million agreement to buy Farmers Capital will allow the West Virginia company to bridge a gap between Louisville, Ky., and Huntington, W.Va.

Investing in technology has been an important focus for banks. But big questions remain about these investments, including how best to pay for them.

The North Carolina company's efforts to contain expenses made up for a marginal increase in revenue.

The company will merge with Kentucky Federal Savings and Loan by the end of this year.

Premier Financial agreed to buy First Bank of Charleston for $33 million.

The Illinois company has agreed to buy Springfield Bancshares for $87 million.

The Alabama bank agreed to buy Peoples Bank for $23 million as part of a plan to target new Southeastern markets.

The Chicago company said its decision was largely based on intense competition, very low margins and economic changes.

KS Bancorp, which is trying to avoid a hostile takeover, may be facing a skirmish with an activist investor over one of its board seats.

First International Bank plans to rename the company Kotapay, while expanding services that include handling direct deposit and credit card processing for financial firms.

Short sellers tend to go against the tide, making investments based on a belief that a stock is going to tank. These 10 banks have drawn the greatest amount of short-interest activity recently.

A judge in North Carolina granted a request by First Citizens to block KS Bancorp from enacting a shareholder rights plan.

The company will also sell $58 million in deposits to West Gate Bank.

The $6 million acquisition will add four businesses with a total of $700 million in assets under management.

Gulfside Bank, which would be based in Sarasota, is angling to become southwest Florida's first new bank in a decade.

Organizers want to open the first new bank in Michigan since 2009, while a third group in Florida has filed a de novo application.

Park National, which came to regret its acquisition of a Florida bank just before the financial crisis, took more than a year to vet NewDominion before making an offer.

The company's deal for Coastway Bancorp in Rhode Island makes sense since both institutions are former credit unions.

Organizers in Winston-Salem are planning to raise at least $25 million to form Community Bank of the Carolinas.

The company has agreed to buy United Community Bancorp. With the $114 million deal it would add five branches in the Cincinnati area.