OceanFirst Financial in Toms River, N.J., has agreed to buy a branch office in its hometown from Provident Financial Services.

Toronto-Dominion Bank is open to buying "strategically compelling" financial assets in the U.S. even as it remains focused on internal growth, Chief Financial Officer Colleen Johnston said.

First Financial Bancorp. in Cincinnati has issued $120 million in subordinated debt and plans to use the proceeds for potential stock repurchases and to support growth.

Oak Valley Bancorp in Oakdale, Calif., has agreed to buy Mother Lode Bank in Sonora, Calif.

CIT Group in New York has formed a joint venture with the private equity firm TPG Capital to provide commercial lending.

Avadian Credit Union in Birmingham, Ala., has agreed to buy American Bank of Huntsville in Alabama.

Northfield Bancorp in Woodbridge, N.J., has agreed to buy Hopewell Valley Community Bank in Pennington, N.J.

Tri-Valley Bank in San Ramon, Calif., plans to raise $1.35 million in a private placement of its common stock.

This special report takes a look at the role that activist shareholders — both traditional gadflies and institutional investors — could have on future bank consolidation. The report also includes data showing all the whole bank, failed bank and branch deals that were announced during the first half of 2015

Standard Treasury, the startup that Silicon Valley Bank absorbed this month, is helping create software gateways for the institution's high-tech business clients to customize the way they interact with it.

Traditional gadflies are again pressing banks to find buyers. They could soon be joined by less vocal investors who still know how to put pressure on executives and directors.

Marketplace lenders and other alternative finance companiesshould be perceived not as a threat, but rather as a group of pioneers opening up opportunities for those banks that elect to buy, build or partner in this market.

SBT Bancorp in Simsbury, Conn., plans to raise about $7.5 million through a private placement of subordinated debt and $8.6 million through a public offering of common stock.

Even as the number of credit unions shrinks, the number of credit union branches is going up, opposite the trend in bank branching, according to new analysis.

Phoenixville Federal Bank & and Trust in Pennsylvania has converted to a state charter.

ASB Bancorp in Asheville, N.C., has received its second demand in less than a month to put itself on the auction block.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended August 22.