Growth strategies

The Arkansas company will gain branches around Nashville as part of the acquisition.

The company agreed to pay $104 million for a one-branch bank with $391 million of assets.

Lenders including Howard Bancorp and First Carolina Bank are shunning acquisitions as a route into new markets, to avoid overpaying for targets and inheriting potential loan problems.

The company, once known as Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, plans to launch the as-yet-unnamed platform by the end of this year.

The purchases of Truck Insurance Specialists and Hometown Insurance are expected to help the company expand its dealings in transportation and agriculture.

The company will start to offer insurance planning and risk management services as part of its purchase of Strategic Wealth Group in Valdosta, Ga.

The company’s retail banking and auto-lending businesses in the U.S. generated a larger share of overall profits in the first quarter, and Executive Chairman Ana Botín and other executives unveiled expansion plans for both units.

The Arkansas bank is turning to asset-based lending and loans to venture capital and other investment groups to help fill a void created by a shortage of new, big-ticket commercial real estate deals.

Mike Daniels has been president and CEO of Nicolet's bank since 2015.

The Dallas company will pay nearly $54 million for a 49% stake in a lender that operates in 10 states.

The $56 million acquisition will extend Southern California Bancorp's footprint north of Los Angeles.

The Missouri company announced the deal just five months after buying Seacoast Commerce in San Diego.

The merger would create a company with nearly 400 branches, 87 loan production offices and $87 billion of assets.

The proposed acquisition is the second deal in as two days to involve an Atlanta-based seller.

The Illinois companies agreed to merge in a transaction that is expected to close later this year.

Regulators recently eased field-of-membership rules to promote growth of federal credit unions. A handful of institutions are taking advantage of the changes to recruit more members, but some may find the process too cumbersome.

The Georgia company agreed to pay $84 million for a bank with nine branches and $715 million of assets.

The deal would be Independent's sixth since 2015 and would continue a wave of consolidation among Boston-area banks.

Clarity on credit quality has bankers ready to strike deals after a lengthy pause. A steady rise in stock prices has also given potential buyers the financial wherewithal to pursue acquisitions.

Cal Poly Federal Credit Union's recent merger into SchoolsFirst highlights the difficult choice many small institutions face: diversify your field of membership or risk going out of business.