Achieva Credit Union in Dunedin, Fla., has received regulatory approval to buy Calusa Bank in Punta Gorda, Fla.

First Niagara Financial Group in Buffalo, N.Y., considered offers from four potential acquirers before deciding in late October to sell itself to KeyCorp.

M&A has taken off in 2015, especially in five states that account for more than a fifth of all activity. Here are the states with the most sellers, based on data compiled by KBW through Nov. 30.

The $9.8 billion-asset Great Western said in a press release Monday that it will pay about $140 million, or $19.70 a share, in cash and stock for the $1.2 billion-asset parent of Home Federal Bank.

Broadway Financial Corp. in Los Angeles has been released from an enforcement action requiring it to improve its corporate governance.

Darien Rowayton Bank used funds from a 2010 recapitalization to start refinancing student loans in a move that, so far, has been lucrative for the institution.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended November 28.

Morgan Stanley is planning a reduction of as much as a quarter of its fixed-income staff after years of revenue declines and insufficient returns, according to people with knowledge of the plans.

Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y., has agreed to buy Courier Capital, an investment advisory firm in Buffalo, N.Y.

JPMorgan Chase is leaving its bonus pool roughly unchanged from 2014, adding to pressure on weakened rivals, according to people with knowledge of the plan.

Citywide Banks of Colorado in Denver has raised $7 million from private-equity investors.

Auto-loan, commercial-mortgage-backed and other securitizations use what is known as the swaps curve to price floating-rate deals. But pricing volatility is causing some to ask whether the market should go back to Treasuries after a 15-year hiatus.

No two mortgage servicing rights portfolios look the same, and buyers have strong opinions about the kinds of deals they want to do. Here are some factors that can swing MSR transaction values, according to Matt Maurer, managing director at MountainView Capital Holdings.

Mark Simmons, a seasoned commercial lender, is planning to open a bank in California’s Orange County that is dedicated to making loans to businesses. Core Commercial Bank, expected to be the state’s first de novo since 2008, would jump into a market where commercial lenders are plentiful — and aggressive.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended November 21.

Hanmi wants to make sure that, when the dust settles, it is part of the nation's biggest Korean-American bank. The move also shows how difficult it will be for ethnic banks to gain meaningful scale while sticking to their niche groups.

Huron Valley State Bank in Milford, Mich., plans to raise as much as $5 million to grow its two-branch business.

BNH Financial in Laconia, N.H., has agreed to buy Community Guaranty in Plymouth, N.H.

Blue Ridge Bankshares in Luray, Va., has issued $10 million in subordinated debt and plans to exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

Bank of the James Financial Group in Lynchburg, Va., is planning to raise about $11.5 million through a private placement.