Arkansas

Home BancShares in Conway, Ark., swallowed $1.7 million of merger-integration costs in the fourth quarter, capping a year of investment in its expansion.

Nationwide the number of bank branches fell by about 1.7% last year. But some cities and states were hit harder than others, according to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and research firm BankRegData.

Home BancShares in Conway, Ark., has named a new chief for its banking unit.

Simmons First National in Pine Bluff, Ark., has extended the termination date for its purchases of two banks due to delays securing regulatory approval.

Acquisitions buoyed third-quarter earnings at Home BancShares in Conway, Ark. The $7.2 billion-asset company reported Thursday that it earned $27.4 million, up roughly 49% from a year earlier.

Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock, Ark., reported a rise in third-quarter profits as net interest income reached a record high and provisions for bad loans fell.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) reached a deal with prepaid-card firm Green Dot Corp. (GDOT) to offer checking accounts to the retailer's customers, building on an expansion into financial services that U.S. banks have sought to block.

Leaders of large community banks in the Southeast are keen on acquisitions, though their level of interest varies widely. Some, like Home BancShares in Arkansas, are eager to line up the next big deal. Others, including Bank of the Ozarks, seem content to steal lenders and open offices after several years of acquisitions.

How First National Bank of Green Forest in Arkansas became Anstaff Bank, in a rebranding with a family twist.

Southern Bancorp in Arkadelphia, Ark., has agreed to buy the Bank of Bolivar County in Shelby, Miss.

Bank of the Ozarks' deal to buy Intervest Bancshares looks a bit odd on paper because the two are very different and operation in different of parts of the country. However, Intervest would give Ozarks a commercial lending niche it lacks.

Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock, Ark., has agreed to buy Intervest Bancshares in New York for $228.5 million in stock.

Home BancShares (HOMB) in Conway, Ark., got a big boost last quarter from a recent acquisition.

Aided by gains from a recent acquisition, Simmons First National (SFN) in Pine Bluff, Ark., reported a $9.9 million profit in the second quarter, a 51% increase from the same period last year.

First National Bank of Green Forest in Arkansas has chosen a new name but kept it in the family, so to speak. The $347 million-asset bank will rebrand itself as Anstaff Bank, a blend of the names of its two founding families, Anderson and Stafford.

Farmers Bank & Trust in Magnolia, Ark., has agreed to acquire the 1st Bank of Texarkana, a $309 million-asset bank located just over the state line in Texas.

Shares of Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK) rose in early trading Tuesday after the Little Rock, Ark., company reported a 30% increase in its second-quarter profit.

Bank of the Ozarks recently overhauled how it awards bonuses after a big dip in shareholder approval, showing how much weight some banks place on the nonbinding measures and how proxy-advisors can swing the vote.

Simmons First National (SFNC) in Pine Bluff, Ark., must sell one branch as part of its acquisition of Delta Trust & Banking in Little Rock, Ark.

The Arkansas company has been aggressive this year, agreeing to buy banks with a total of $3.4 billion in assets. The buying spree is partially driven by a currency lifted by a bankruptcy deal Simmons First completed last year.