Several banks have thrived on failed-bank acquisitions since the financial crisis. Here are the most active shoppers, in terms of the number of failures they have bid on, based on data from SNL Financial.

The Ohio Division of Financial Institutions closed Columbia Savings Bank in Cincinnati on Friday.

Niche banks face a challenge when they consider acquisitions: they want to grow without undermining their specialized business models. First Business in Madison, Wis., worked around the problem by searching far and wide till it found a very similar bank in Kansas that wanted to sell.

Community banks that are looking to complete acquisitions are deciding to go public so they have a stronger currency to offer potential sellers. However, recent IPOs have not performed as well as earlier ones.

FNB Bancorp (FNBG) in South San Francisco is expanding into the East Bay with a deal to acquire Valley Community Bank in Pleasanton.

First Business Financial Services (FBIZ) of Madison, Wis., said Friday that it is acquiring the parent company of Alterra Bank in Leawood, Kan., for roughly $30.1 million in cash and stock.

The dramatic headwinds of the Affordable Care Act will result in increasing defaults and bankruptcy for many healthcare operators. Lenders should start evaluating risk in their healthcare portfolios now.

Bank buyers and sellers should pay attention to the Fed's recent approval of Cullen/Frost's acquisition of WNB Bancshares. Cullen/Frost had to agree to improve its fair-lending and other functions, underscoring the importance of buyers who work well in resolving compliance and other problems with regulators.

Eight community banks have transferred their shares to a new trading platform operated by OTC Markets Group in a bid to increase visibility for their stocks.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp., the world’s largest custody bank, said today it will take an $80 million to $100 million severance charge in the second quarter for unspecified cuts to its workforce.

The Puerto Rican company is looking to shore up its capital levels after the FDIC invalidated about 40% of its Tier 1 capital. Management will have plenty of challenges as it looks to fill the capital hole.

Meridian Bancorp (EBSB), the newly formed bank holding company for East Boston Savings Bank, could raise at least $233 million and as much as $364 million in its upcoming public offering.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended May 17.

Regulators' recent moves to encourage lenders to relax standards have reignited a contentious debate over whether looser credit will revitalize the housing market or set it up for another disaster.

Many people in Florida were sure that M&A would pass over the Sunshine State for years after the financial crisis. But a recent influx of deals suggests that Florida hasn't lost its luster.

TS Banking Group in Treynor, Iowa, has agreed to buy Tioga Bank Holding Co. in Tioga, N.D.

CertusBank fired its founders for providing inaccurate budgets and for failing to devise a strategy after its failed-bank deals dried up, the Greenville, S.C., company said in court filings.

Malvern Bancorp (MLVF) in Paoli, Pa., is facing activist pressure to sell itself.

Illinois state regulators closed the $66.3 million-asset AztecAmerica Bank in Berwyn on Friday.

Sandy Spring Bancorp (SASR) in Olney, Md., said its second-quarter earnings will be reduced after a Maryland jury awarded a $6.05 million verdict in a case involving a former employee.