Lawmakers have set $10 billion in assets as a dividing line between small and large banks for regulatory purposes. That's left bankers at Trustmark's Gerard Host and other institutions that are approaching the cutoff with a choice: Deliberately limit their size or pursue acquisitions to solidly cross the threshold.

Four years after filing the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history amid soured real estate bets, Lehman Brothers is still in the property business, wagering it can recover about $12.9 billion from mortgages and assets around the globe.

Six North Carolina businessmen and banking veterans made up the group that raised $13 million to buy First Carolina State Bank in Rocky Mount, N.C., from Capitol Bancorp (CRBC).

In its ongoing effort to distinguish itself as a specialty lender, the Jacksonville, Fla., company announced Monday that it has established a golf lending division and that it has hired a team of lenders away from TCF Financial (TCB) to run it.

PSC Info Group, a technology services provider for collections, has been acquired and will be combined with data services firm Dantom Systems to form a new company.

General Motors Co. (GM), the largest U.S. automaker, said its lending arm made a bid in July for Ally Financial Inc. (ALLY)'s international operations, which, if successful, could more than double GM Financial Co.'s consolidated assets.

A breakdown of M&A announcements for the week ended August 11.

Two banks that are majority-owned by Piedmont Community Bank Holdings in Raleigh, N.C., have agreed to merge.

Kevin McCarty, the insurance commissioner of Florida who recently started investigating the force-placed insurance market, vividly recounts his fight to correct an error that, he says, led to forced coverage on his condo several years ago.

Eight banks still have more than $2 billion in loans covered by FDIC loss-sharing agreements, according to data compiled by FIG Partners. Collectively, the FDIC is covering a percentage of losses on $39 billion of loans at those banks. Here are the banks with the largest amount of covered loans at June 30.

Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP, the 24-year-old investment bank that focuses on financial clients, fired about 20 people in units including trading and deal advisory, said people with direct knowledge of the decisions.

Julius Baer Group Ltd., the Swiss money manager established in 1890, agreed to pay about 860 million Swiss francs ($880 million) for Bank of America Corp.'s Merrill Lynch wealth management business outside the U.S.

First Financial Northwest (FFNW), a company under fire from activist shareholders and regulators, will replace the chief executive of its banking unit next month and has made another important management change.

Serial dealmaker Jay Sidhu is at it again, agreeing to buy the New York thrift CMS Bancorp for $20.8 million. Sidhu is paying a premium, an investor in both banks says, but Sidhu denies it.

As expiration dates near for FDIC loss-sharing agreements inked in 2008, more failed bank buyers are looking to unload loans before the coverage runs out. As a result, they face growing pressure to book new loans to replace the ones they are trying to run off.

Loan demand is soft and competition for borrowers is intense, creating tension between building portfolios and sustaining yields. Some banks have posted leaps in volume just to tread water in profitability.

The Lansing, Mich., company has turned to court to try and recapitalize itself. The move would leave all existing stakeholders with a 53% equity stake in the company. Capitol, meanwhile, is still searching for an investor to take the other 47%.

FNBNY Bancorp has hired John F. Stewart, a former president of Citibank New York, as CEO of First National Bank of New York. Stella Mendes will be the bank's president.