Louisiana

Unlike most credit union conferences, if you’re under 40, you were too young to “crash” the Louisiana CU League’s annual meeting.

The New Orleans company, which recently sold nine branches and $1.3 billion in loans, was ordered to raise more capital or find a buyer.

Investar will pay $46 million in cash for Citizens, which has three branches and $246 million in assets.

Hancock Holding in Gulfport, Miss., has agreed to buy nine branches and about $1.3 billion in loans from First NBC Bank in New Orleans.

Add Investar Holding in Baton Rouge, La., to the growing list of community banks filing shelf registrations.

Iberiabank in Lafayette, La., has exited loss-share agreements tied to several failed banks it bought after the financial crisis.

Liberty Financial Services in New Orleans said it will redeem more than 11,000 shares of preferred stock it issued as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program after receiving an investment from BancorpSouth in Tupelo, Miss.

BancorpSouth in Tupelo, Miss., has bought Waguespack & Associates Insurance in Gonzales, La.

Bankers got what they asked for when the Federal Open Market Committee raised the federal funds rate by 25 basis points this week, but some banks could face near-term pain as securities portfolios lose value and certain hedging strategies backfire. Moreover, the rate hike won't have a meaningful impact on net interest margins until loan demand picks up.

The $20.7 billion-asset company said in a press release Monday that it had tapped Samuel Erwin as its regional president responsible for covering the state. Erwin will operate from Greenville, S.C.