The $3.8 billion-asset First Busey said in a press release Thursday that it will pay $210.7 million, or $17.24 a share, in stock for the $1.5 billion-asset Pulaski.

Athens Bancshares in Tennessee has decided to delist its stock from Nasdaq and deregister with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The $1 billion-asset Charter said in a press release Thursday that it will pay $58.8 million, or $20.50 a share for the $369 million-asset parent of Community Bank of the South.

The $140 million-asset company said in a press release Thursday that Martin May would also become its president.

The small bank was the only institution to bid on a contract to process cash payments to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Executives are eager to collect fees without feeling compelled to make loans or hold deposits for the controversial industry.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati plans to record a large fourth-quarter gain after selling shares in payment processor Vantiv.

Aflac, the largest supplemental health insurer, is expanding bets on commercial loans and stocks to improve returns on its $100 billion investment portfolio.

Sunshine Bancorp in Plant City, Fla., plans to raise about $12.2 million through a private placement.

Deutsche Bank AG, Europe's largest investment bank, agreed to sell its U.S. private-client services unit to Raymond James Financial as Co-Chief Executive Officer John Cryan seeks to shrink investment-bank operations and lower costs. Terms were not disclosed.

WashingtonFirst Bankshares in Reston, Va., plans to raise up to $31.1 million by selling common stock.

Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., has created a unit dedicated to disrupting the banking industry.

Northern Trust in Chicago has agreed to acquire Aviate Global, an institutional equity brokerage firm in the U.K.

Q2, in Austin, Texas, paid $10.6 million to acquire all outstanding interests in Social Money, according to a Tuesday news release. The purchase price was subject to a customary working capital adjustment.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., plans to issue $250 million in subordinated notes to fund potential acquisitions or refinance other debt.

Achieva Credit Union is believed to be the first institution of its kind to complete a whole-bank acquisition. The deal could provide a template for other credit unions keen on buying banks.

Bank of the Ozarks' taste for M&A means its information-technology staff has to juggle integration projects and experiments with new software, mobile and other technologies.

Peoples Bancorp in Marietta, Ohio, plans to increase reserves by $6.6 million to cover four commercial loans that it's moved to impaired status.

The once-prolific acquirer had been on the sidelines for more than three years while under the ownership of National Australia Bank. But it said when it was spun off from NAB that it was mulling acquisitions and on Monday it announced a deal to buy rival HF Financial for $139.5 million.

NexBank in Dallas has bought College Savings Bank in Princeton, N.J.

Premara Financial in Charlotte, N.C., has raised $8.5 million in a stock offering and plans to exit the Small Business Lending Fund program.