Increased stability among Georgia's banks also increases the odds of consolidation in the once-beleaguered state.

Outsiders were as excited as executives of the Columbus, Ga., bank after it repaid its Tarp funds, said CEO Kessel Stelling, who received scores of well-wishes.

Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK), HomeTrust Bancshares (HTBI), Glacier Bancorp (GCBI) and Central Valley Community Bancorp (CVCY) all announced deal completions Wednesday.

The serial acquirer in Rosemont, Ill., announced Wednesday that it has agreed to buy the $165 million-asset Diamond Bancorp, which has a branch on Chicago's north side and three branches in its northern suburbs.

The Seattle mortgage lender's agreements to buy two small banks would give it more commercial lending expertise and put it in the company of other banks like Sterling Financial and AmericanWest that are engaged in M&A-driven makeovers.

More banks are planning to sell or spin off businesses because of Basel III, shareholder pressure and other forces, according to the Institute of International Finance and EY.

Bankers must do a lot of homework when a vendor is sold in order to prepare for the transition and potentially take advantage of the change.

Louisiana officials announced plans this week to give the state's new debt recovery office its first delinquent accounts for collection.

Hudson City Bancorp (HCBK) in Paramus, N.J., reported a second-quarter profit of $48.7 million, down from $72.3 million in the second quarter of 2012. Earnings per share were 10 cents, in line with the average estimate of analysts polled by Bloomberg.

Leaders of midsize banks were generally more enthusiastic about M&A than larger ones during second-quarter calls and other discussions, but the deal-minded have very specific kinds of targets in mind.

The Florida bank says that after a string of troubled-bank acquisitions that brought it lots of short-term benefits, it is turning to deals like its agreement for Gulfstream that will juice earnings over the long haul.

EverBank Financial (EVER) in Jacksonville, Fla., reported higher second-quarter earnings and said it would shut its wholesale-mortgage business.

Flock Advisors, a financing group to middle market debt buyers and collection agencies, has raised a new round of capital with a group of institutional investors that will expand the company's ability to offer financing solutions for debt portfolio purchases, refinancing and strategic balance sheet reengineering.

Regions Financial has hired a group of Texas bankers away from Wells Fargo.

CenterState will pay $77 million in cash and stock for Gulfstream, which focuses on small businesses and medical practices.

Quarterly profit at Heartland Financial (HTLF) in Dubuque, Iowa, slipped by 31% from a year earlier as costs rose and gains from loan sales fell.

Synovus Financial, which endured a drubbing from the economy while overcoming massive challenges, has a large to-do list if it wants to regain relevance.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended July 27.

MainSource Financial Group (MSFG) in Greensburg, Ind., has been cleared to redeem the last of the preferred stock it had issued through the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Pacific Commerce Bank in Los Angeles has satisfied enforcement orders imposed by state regulators, but it still has more work to do.