Growth strategies

The new hires joined Veritex from Bank of Houston, which has also been aggressively recruiting bankers.

The Mississippi-based First says the deal would allow it to acquire key talent, bolster its presence in northwest Florida and expand into the Tampa area.

Bruce Van Saun, the Rhode Island bank’s CEO, previewed a branch-light strategy in new markets like South Florida and Washington, D.C. Citizens recently closed acquisitions of Investors Bancorp and much of HSBC’s U.S. retail banking business.

One year after CEO Jane Fraser launched a business revamp, Citigroup reported lower revenue, higher expenses and a big reserve for loan losses in Russia. Yet the company’s long-term plan to streamline operations and invest in high-performing businesses — all with an aim to strengthen shareholder returns — still appears on track.

Citigroup agreed to sell its consumer banking operations in Bahrain to Ahli United Bank BSC as part of the lender’s continued push to simplify.

In his annual letter to shareholders, the JPMorgan Chase CEO wrote that although the U.S. economy remains strong, “we should prepare for the potential negative outcomes.” He also provided more detail about the megabank’s big spending plans.

Barclays is developing a global private credit strategy, according to several people familiar with the situation, seeking to take part in the fast-growing $1.2 trillion asset class.

Citigroup agreed to sell its India retail banking business for about 123 billion rupees ($1.6 billion) cash to Axis Bank, as the U.S. lender seeks to consolidate its operations in identified markets.

Citizens Financial Group is mulling the acquisition of a wealth manager or even a lender in Florida following a deal spree by the bank last year, CEO Bruce Van Saun said.

Seven of the 10 largest merger agreements since 2012 have been struck in the last year and a half. Here's a look at how they stack up against each other.