Fulton Financial in Lancaster, Pa., is planning to open six new branches in 2012 and will renovate five others as part of a broader effort to make its branches more inviting and free up staff to better interact with customers.

First Financial in Cincinnati instituted a full pay-out of earnings in August. Although investors were happy with the move, the company has been swarmed with questions over how long it plans to keep the payout. Last week, the company committed to it until the end of 2013.

A breakdown of M&A announcements for the past two weeks

Mergers and acquisitions enjoyed a notable uptick in the first quarter. Now financial dealmakers are hotly debating whether it's a one-quarter wonder or the beginning of a much-heralded consolidation.

A plan to spin off Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC's global mergers and acquisitions division into a boutique operation, in which the majority state-owned lender may hold a stake, could be finalized by the end of the year, said Simon Penney, chief executive of RBS in the Middle East and Africa.

WSFS Financial (WSFS) in Wilmington, Del., has been using its excess capital to open new branches, hire lenders and beef up its wealth management operations, but Chief Executive Mark Turner assured investors and analysts Friday that repaying the $53 million it received from the Troubled Asset Relief Program remains a priority.

First Banks of Clayton, Mo., said Friday that it has called off its plan to sell its Florida branch network to an unnamed bank after the two sides could not come to terms on a deal.

The Houston bank's four deals since September would not slow it down if it sees another good M&A opportunity, David Zalman says. Proxy filing details how it courted American State Financial.

Christopher Whalen at Tangent Capital is concerned about a component of the initial public offering that lets some existing investors sell their stock.

The 31 banks that disclosed their sales price in 2012 fetched a median price equal to 116% of their tangible book, up from a median price of 94% of tangible book in the fourth quarter and 108% a year earlier, SNL said.

Thinly traded First Trust Bank was a popular stock with investors early Friday after rumors circulated that the Charlotte community bank could soon be acquired.

Hancock Holding's (HBHC) shares tumbled Friday morning after the Gulfport, Miss., company reported that its first-quarter earnings fell short of expectations as its allowance for loan losses rose.

Calling it a "milestone in its global growth," Silicon Valley Bank announced late Thursday that it has received permission from British banking authorities to open a full-service banking office in London.

The deal would give Wells an entrée into prime brokerage and continues its niche M&A strategy.

HSBC is cutting more than 2,200 senior and middle management jobs in Britain as part of its drive to slash costs and boost profitability.

He will succeed Edgar Ancona, who is retiring after 18 years with the company, at the end of June.

As revenue growth diminishes, more community banks are looking to expand their wealth management and trust operations. A number of them, including Iberiabank and Wintrust, are turning to acquisitions for growth.

Asset quality might be paramount, but there are other things sellers need to consider as they seek to attract buyers. The list includes avoiding long-term contracts, trimming expenses and retaining key employees.

Bar Harbor Bankshares (BHB) in Maine is getting some love from analysts following its record earnings performance in the first quarter.

A security breach that struck Fidelity National Information Services a year ago still has ripple effects on the core platform provider, which reported its first-quarter earnings Thursday.