Bank First in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has completed its acquisition of Centre 1 Bancorp in Beloit; Citi plans to shed its remaining Russian operations; Heritage Financial in Olympia, Washington, has received regulatory approvals to acquire Olympic Bancorp; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The merger of equals, which received a chilly reception from investors when it was announced in July, closed faster than analysts had expected.

Fintechs sought to acquire the rights and privileges of bank charters in various ways this year, from de novo applications to buying up banks.

New Jersey-based OceanFirst Financial slid in its planned $579 million acquisition of Flushing Financial just before the end of the year. The private equity firm Warburg Pincus is also participating in the transaction.

Credit unions hit new highs in membership, deposits and loans in 2025. But it was also a chaotic year for the industry's governing body, and the sector faced renewed attacks by banks.

Bank merger and acquisition activity rebounded this year, led by Fifth Third's $10.9 billion proposed purchase of Comerica. Huntington, PNC and Columbia were involved in some of the other biggest deals announced in 2025.

ServiceNow, with its largest-yet M&A deal, will fold Armis' threat prevention services into its larger cybersecurity suite.

While the term "financial supermarket" may have gone out of fashion, firms still see opportunity to boost profits and keep clients loyal by blurring the lines between banking and wealth management.

Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services recommended approval of Fifth Third's $10.9 billion proposed acquisition of Comerica.

Once its second deal in less than three years closes midway through 2026, the Alexandria-based company will operate more than 100 branches and hold $11 billion in assets.

Mercantile's pending acquisition of Eastern Michigan is approved by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and Rise Economy announce a $2.5 billion addendum to Columbia Bank's community benefits agreement following its acquisition of Pacific Premier Bank; the Federal Reserve Board and CFPB raise the thresholds for certain credit and lease transactions; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The Dallas bank turned down another offer because it thought it could get a higher price from Fifth Third, and also could ink an agreement faster, according to Comerica's latest regulatory filing.

The merger with Heritage Financial joins two commercially focused banks, creating a $21.7 billion-asset institution with a presence in all of the Golden State's major markets.

Daryl Byrd, who led Iberiabank until it was acquired by First Horizon, has assembled an investor group to acquire MC Bancshares and its subsidiary, MC Bank & Trust Co. in Morgan City, Louisiana. Byrd will become CEO.

The regulator signed off on the transaction just two months after the banks applied to merge.

HoldCo Asset Management says that shareholders should reject Fifth Third's proposed acquisition of Comerica during a Jan. 6 vote due to what it calls an "unacceptable" negotiation process and the possible upside from another deal.

Enova International, a nonbank lender in Chicago, plans to gain scale by taking over Grasshopper Bank's national bank charter. The deal already faces skepticism from critics of Enova's high-cost lending model.

The largest bank deal to be announced in 2025 is still on track to close in the first quarter of next year, Fifth Third CEO Tim Spence said. His comments came amid opposition to various aspects of the deal, as well as how it came together and the timeline for closing the transaction.

KeyCorp CEO Chris Gorman said Tuesday that the bank has doubled its buyback plans for the fourth quarter and laid out a new long-term profitability target. The comments came a few days after HoldCo Asset Management issued a scathing report about the bank's performance.

The all-stock acquisition of Mountain Commerce Bancorp in Knoxville marks the Arkansas-based company's first M&A foray since 2022.