Growth strategies

Margin expansion may grind to a halt if the Fed holds rates steady or cuts them further. The problem is regionals tend to lack the side businesses that the big banks possess to offset lending slumps. Check out our annual ranking of banks with $10 billion to $50 billion of assets.

The bank will buy First State Bank of Mobeetie.

The company will pay $13 million for the parent of Western Bank of Wolf Point.

Consolidation heated up in recent weeks after a tepid start this year. Here is an overview of noteworthy deals announced in June and July.

Credit unions not actively thinking about mergers are at risk of missing out, an industry expert warned at a recent conference.

The company will pay $43 million in cash for a bank with seven branches and $209 million in deposits.

With margins under pressure and competition intensifying, a number of community banks are zeroing in on underserved markets.

Beacon Business Bank hired former Boston Private executive John Delaney as its new leader.

These banks posted strong quarterly results at a time when many others struggled with thinner margins and rising expenses.

Millyard Bank is on a course to open by the end of this year.

The year's second-biggest bank merger created a Midwestern regional with nearly $50 billion in assets, and its CEO and executive vice chairman don't intend to stop there.

Dealmaking had been sluggish until mid-July. Factors behind the uptick include uncertainty about both margins and loan growth.

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The Arkansas company will pay $434 million for Landrum Co., which also has branches in Oklahoma and Texas.

The Boulder, Colo.-based institution will now serve a dozen counties in its home state.

The Louisiana company will pay $15 million in cash for Bank of York.

The Delaware company, best known for issuing prepaid cards, has ramped up commercial real estate securitizations. The shift promises to deliver big fees, but it could also cause headaches if defaults spike.

Byline Bancorp is in discussions to buy Parkway Bank and Trust, according to a local publication.

First Financial Banc will gain nearly $300 million in liquidity when it acquires First National Corp. of Wynne.

The company will also gain deposits and loans from its deal with Republic Bancorp.