Paul Davis

South State in South Carolina has agreed to buy Southeastern Bank Financial in Georgia, which is run by Daniel Blanton, the chairman of the American Bankers Association.

A megabank on the surface might not seem like the right fit for the financing needs of upstart craft breweries, but Bank of America's Brian Mulvaney has cooked up quite a niche business.

Competitive pressure and revenue challenges are creating a need for executives to focus more on strategic planning, and CFOs want a piece of the action. Unfortunately, many CFOs are bogged down with checklists and mundane tasks.

FirstMerit reached out to a foreign bank last fall in an effort to negotiate a sale, but the Ohio company eventually agreed to sell itself to Huntington Bancshares for $3.4 billion.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in Lodi, Calif., has agreed to buy Delta National Bancorp in Manteca, Calif.

Trustmark in Jackson, Miss., reduced its workforce by more than 6% by offering early retirement packages.

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., is planning to raise about $160 million through a common stock offering.

The $1.7 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday that it recently agreed to buy a 25% stake in ASC Trust Corp. in Hagatna.

First Federal Bank of Wisconsin in Waukesha has a new chief executive lined up.

Heartway Bancorp. in Wayland, Iowa, has agreed to buy Peoples State Bank in Winfield, Iowa.

Bank of Montreal has agreed to buy Greene Holcomb Fisher, a boutique advisory firm in Minneapolis.

First Bancorp in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has sold an insurance agency.

The regional bank has extensively studied the viability of such platforms, but has been unable to develop a plan to fits its risk appetite.

Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y., said it had secured enough votes to prevail in a fight with a big shareholder.

Chemung Financial in Elmira, N.Y., is set to form an insurance unit.

Union Bankshares in Richmond, Va., will open a loan production office after hiring a team that worked at NewBridge Bancorp.

Prudential Bancorp in Philadelphia has agreed to buy Polonia Bancorp in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Castle Creek Capital Partners has appointed a director to serve on the board at HCSB Financial in Loris, S.C.

Summit Financial Group in Moorefield, W.Va., has agreed to buy First Century Bankshares in Bluefield, W.Va.

Banks announced 41 mergers through May 31, representing a 16% decline from the same period in 2015, according to data from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and S&P Global Market Intelligence.