The pace of deal activity in 2024 is ahead of a year earlier, thanks in large part to summer momentum and a spate of all-stock deals. But an early August market rout created a new hurdle for dealmaking in the second half of the year.

In short, if the early days of BaaS were driven by market opportunity, the coming days of BaaS will be driven by the operational apparatus and software to acquire and manage that opportunity.

Banks are testing the waters on paying depositors lower interest rates, and analysts expect they're due for a bigger breather when the Fed takes action. It's a welcome shift for banks, after competition for deposits forced them to pay up.

The stock swoon of early August, however, raises red flags and could delay an anticipated rise in loan demand for banks in need of stronger interest income, analysts caution.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency wants to update the dual mission of the Federal Home Loan Banks. Members of the private bank cooperative say their regulator has no authority to redefine the mission.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s focus on implementing stricter control over brokered deposits is misguided, a former chairman on the agency writes, and misses the real lessons of 2023's bank failures.

First National Community Bank CEO Ryan Earnest said his institution would likely use its entry into Paulding County, an Atlanta suburb, as a template for future expansion.

The Long Island-based thrift, long associated with multifamily and CRE lending, saw business lending spike the past year as it onboarded 15 banking teams. Other banks that did significant hiring have also reported more deposits and wider margins.

New executives were lined up for lenders across the country, including Fremont Bank in California.

When banks realize they are unable to continue their operations, a credit union is often a natural partner to consider.

The agency admitted navigating the different rules and regulations involved in its four existing lines of credit proved time consuming and confusing and kept some lenders from offering them altogether.

The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index was up 18% year to date through July, supporting expectations for more banks to use their shares as currency to take out competitors.

U.S. banks need to start taking sustainability risk seriously

Despite the continuing trends of consolidation and limited startup activity, bankers and industry insiders say there is a path forward. But small lenders must evolve with changing technology.

The five largest bank M&A deals had an average deal value of more than $1.2 billion.

The Kansas City, Missouri-based regional bank said it is making progress on its pending purchase of Heartland Financial USA in Denver. The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2025.

Generative AI is exciting, but has limited fraud-busting utility. Instead of rushing to implement gen AI-powered anti-fraud initiatives, banks should focus on strengthening their existing security measures.

The top five banks and thrifts had combined assets of more than $13 trillion as of March 31, 2024.

The Hammond, Louisiana, company, which announced changes to its business strategy, cut 71 jobs and reduced its dividend to 8 cents per share.