First Sentry Bancshares in Huntington, W.Va., said it will pay $7.4 million in cash and stock to buy the $75 million-asset Rock Branch Community Bank in Nitro, W.Va.

Hometown Community Bancorp in Morton, Ill., has agreed to buy Illini Corp. in Springfield, Ill.

Community Financial Corp. in Waldorf, Md., has agreement to support a director nominated by the activist investor Basswood Capital Management.

Restrictions on bank ownership act as a de facto poison pill, discouraging potential activist investors from challenging underperforming bank managers. Ease those restrictions and the market will do its job.

Royal Financial in Chicago has agreed to sell $25.8 million of distressed assets associated with its pending purchase of Park Bancorp in Chicago.

Sterling Bancorp in Montebello, N.Y., plans to raise $105 million in a debt sale to fuel potential acquisitions of commercial lenders.

Roughly 90 banks that participated in the government's lending program still owe money to the Treasury Department and face a massive dividend increase. Many of those could view selling as a better alternative to raising new capital.

Diebold has acquired enough Wincor Nixdorf shares to complete the purchase of its German rival, a deal that creates a maker of cash machines and systems with more than $5 billion in sales.

Fentura Financial in Fenton, Mich., has agreed to buy Community Bancorp in St. Charles, Mich.

Carolina Trust Bank in Lincolnton, N.C., has revised downward its fourth-quarter results because of accounting changes related to its retirement plan and an acquisition from years ago.

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida in Stuart has reached an agreement with an activist investor after signs had emerged of a potential proxy battle.

Online lender StreetShares' strategy is based on the premise that borrowers are more likely to repay when they have a genuine personal connection to the lender.

SunTrust Banks in Atlanta will hire as many as 200 people for its wholesale-banking business over the next four years as it seeks to increase mergers-and-acquisition services for mid-size companies.

Getting CIT back on track could be a legacy-defining assignment for veteran banker Alemany, in much the same way as the firm’s turnaround after bankruptcy was viewed as a chance at redemption for John Thain. Success would be no small feat.

The New York State Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the activist investor Joseph Stilwell cannot force NorthEast Community Bancorp in White Plains, N.Y., to convert to a fully stock-owned bank.

TriCo Bancshares in Chico, Calif., paid a lower deposit premium for its purchase of Bank of America branches after deposit levels at those offices fell.

Shareholders of KeyCorp in Cleveland and First Niagara Financial Group in Buffalo, N.Y., have approved Key’s planned purchase of First Niagara.

A number of banks are on pace this year to surpass $10 billion in assets, which would subject them to heightened regulatory requirements such as stress tests and interchange fee caps. Several institutions have already announced big deals to cross that threshold. Here are 10 banks that could do the same.

Northwest Bancshares in Warren, Pa., has agreed to buy Best Insurance Agency, an employee benefits and property and casualty insurance firm in Butler, Pa.

Central Bancshares in Muscatine, Iowa, has agreed to buy Brimfield Bank in Brimfield, Ill.