The New York-based institution tapped the former Republic First CEO to help oversee its transformation from a predominantly multifamily lender into business bank.

Deal advisors said the Trump administration's tariff threats and the specter of inflation have given some bankers reason to pause on acquisition plans. Momentum could still mount, but uncertainty in Washington is a detriment early in the new year.

The three-year-old Newport Beach-based institution, which secured $500 million in investor pledges to acquire peers, says more dealmaking may be in the works.

Small lenders produced net interest margin expansion in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to interest rate cuts in the second half of 2024. Festering inflation, however, threatens to lead to rate increases that could stall their momentum.

The biggest decline was a 9.9% drop in deposits quarter-on-quarter as of Dec. 31.

An order permitting CSBH LLC in Powhattan, Virginia, to acquire a controlling stake in Industry Bancshares promises to give the Texas company a fresh start in one of the country's most attractive banking markets.

The Ontario-based lender announced a partnership that represents the first dividend from its recent acquisition of a Minnesota-based community bank.

Oil and gas companies are borrowing to invest in more drilling and new processing facilities to meet rising global needs for U.S. fossil fuels. Several banks said energy loan demand is expected to strengthen further this year.

Founder Ken LaRoe says his decision to step back from daily management chores will help the Orlando, Florida-based Climate First Bancorp maintain its independence.

The reality of banking is that some customers are riskier and more labor-intensive than some banks want to tolerate. If Congress doesn't like where banks draw the line, it needs to understand what moving it will entail.

Small lenders beset by the fallout from high interest rates took losses in the fourth quarter when they unloaded underperforming securities and loans. But they are reinvesting the proceeds into higher-yielding assets.

Fairfax-based MainStreet Bancshares is pivoting to the niche business as a means to boost its Avenu banking-as-a-service platform, which has failed to hit deposit and revenue targets.

Small lenders across the country filled leadership positions, including The Peoples Savings Bank in Ohio, which promoted from within to name its first woman CEO.

Catastrophic weather events illustrate the risks and opportunities for banks.

The Rutherford-based Blue Foundry Bancorp reported an eighth consecutive quarter of red ink, but a widening margin and positive loan growth trends hint at better times ahead.

The Reno, Nevada-based buyer said it would pay $64.6 million in cash and stock for Cornerstone Community Bancorp, and it expects to close the transaction in the second half of the year.

Executives at the Wilmington Delaware-based bank are optimistic about 2025. Its results in the final three months of last year were hurt by an "isolated" incident in its 26-year-old ATM servicing business.

John Asbury, who is CEO of Atlantic Union Bankshares, said credit unions that compete head-to-head with for-profit banks should lose their tax-exempt status. He also called for bank regulation based on complexity rather than size.

Asheville, North Carolina-based HomeTrust Bancshares is pulling back from the region, selling its two Knoxville branches for an undisclosed sum. Apex will assume the branches' deposits, valued at an estimated $42 million.

Financial services providers in the region say they're ready to do their part rebuilding Southern California after a series of devastating fires. For many regional and community banks, initial fire-damage surveys identified limited impact.