Citizens Financial Group's acquisition of Investors Bancorp — one of the biggest banking combinations announced so far this year — may never have happened if the pandemic hadn't interrupted the seller's merger talks with another bank.

Already in 2021, the nation's largest bank by assets has purchased more than 30 companies, including both fintechs and firms that are more removed from the financial industry. Here's a look at eight of those deals and the thinking behind them.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is considering selling its U.S. banking arm, as consolidation heats up in the American financial industry, people familiar with the matter said.

The all-stock acquisition of South Dakota-based Great Western would create a regional bank with $32 billion of assets and more than 300 branches in 14 states.

Buying the point-of-sale loan provider would give Goldman Sachs access to a network of millions of consumers and thousands of merchants that the bank would have difficulty building on its own, said Stephanie Cohen, its global co-head of consumer and wealth management.

The deal to buy Happy Bancshares enables Arkansas-based Home to expand into Dallas and Austin and could provide a springboard for more acquisitions in the Lone Star State.

CEO Bill Demchak is seeking clarity on which business units can facilitate the trading of digital currencies.

Rochelle State Bank is flush with capital after a group led by investor Rajib Das purchased the bank from its longtime owner in June. Das says his priority is boosting lending locally, but he is also planning to invest heavily in technology and mulling acquisitions.

Royal Credit Union is combining with Utilities Credit Union. Royal recently agreed to purchase Lake Area Bank in Lindstrom, Minnesota.

Its $53 million purchase of Pacific Enterprise Bank would be BayCom's 10th bank acquisition since 2010.

The bank's technology team was trying to figure out how to develop a system similar to the respected software program of Brown Brothers Harriman's investor-services unit. Now that State Street is buying that same unit, it can drop the project.

The Rhode Island bank has entered into an agreement to acquire JMP Group, which focuses on the health care, technology, financial services and real estate sectors.

State Street agreed to buy Brown Brothers Harriman’s investor-services business for $3.5 billion in cash, adding an operation that safeguards about $5.4 trillion of assets.

If Biden appointees are going to apply more antitrust scrutiny to bank mergers, they need to factor into their analysis the competitive threat that banks face from fintechs and other less-regulated players.

With its sale to Blue Ridge Bankshares set to close within months, FVC Bankcorp is moving to diversify by taking a 29% stake in Atlantic Coast Mortgage.

If the Justice Department and other agencies are serious about overhauling the bank merger process, they need to start by establishing whether consolidation helps or hurts consumers.

Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM’s U.S. banking arm has drawn interest from potential buyers including Valley National Bancorp, according to people familiar with the matter. 

LOC Federal Credit Union and MemberFocus Community Credit Union aim to utilize the flexibility of the latter’s state charter to enlarge membership.

Shareholders in the troubled Mexican nonbank lender Credito Real will vote on proposals to sell the company’s U.S. operations at a meeting on Sept. 10.

The move is part of CEO Jes Staley’s broader strategy to beef up the British bank’s U.S. consumer business and strengthen relationships with retailers who may eventually need investment banking services.