Plaza Bancorp in Irvine, Calif., has agreed to buy Manhattan Bancorp in El Segundo, Calif.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon had to defend the company against calls to break it up, doubts about its ability to command higher prices and greater efficiency, and investor disappointment with fourth-quarter results.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and Sandler O'Neill & Partners commanded the market for bank M&A advisory in 2014, according to data published Wednesday by SNL Financial.

JPMorgan Chase Chief Financial Officer Marianne Lake said there's no reason to undertake "major surgery" on the company, which benefits from its size.

Small banks aren't disappearing-they're just getting bigger. Meanwhile, their large competitors are exiting business lines and selling off units. These changes suggest that regulators would be better off issuing rules based on lenders' level of complexity, relieving institutions that operate by a core banking model of unnecessary burdens.

It took more than year for ViewPoint Financial and LegacyTexas to complete a transformational merger near Dallas. The company, which took the seller's name, is now trying to meet its targets in the face of plummeting oil prices.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended Jan. 10.

Northwest Bancshares in Warren, Pa., has bought B.J. Petruso Agency in Meadville, Pa.

Avenue Financial Holdings in Nashville, Tenn., is looking to raise $30 million through an initial public offering.

Ted Peters likes to build things and he does not like retirement. The veteran banker will soon solicit outside investors for a fund that he hopes will amass $100 million to pump into promising community banks.

City Holding in Charleston, W. Va., has sold its insurance division to The Hilb Group, a broker based in Richmond, Va.

Capital One acquired Level Money, a startup with a budgeting app for consumers, on Monday. Level Money has approximately 700,000 users and claims to have helped users manage a total of $12 billion during its brief existence.

National Commerce in Birmingham, Ala., is looking to raise $50 million through an initial public offering.

Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, has sold an office in the city to Telhio Credit Union for $2.5 million.

OneWest Chief Executive Officer Joseph Otting sent an e-mail to his contacts on Wall Street this week asking for help to discourage bank overseers from holding public hearings on its $3.4 billion takeover by CIT Group.

Potential buyers have long been wary of high premiums and the potential for volatility in the energy sector. A harsh correction in oil prices and Texas bank pricing has suddenly given those banks a chance to revisit their views.

Guaranty Bancshares in Mount Pleasant, Texas, has agreed to buy DCB Financial in Dallas.

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

Banco Santander, Spain's largest bank, is considering a multibillion-euro capital increase, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Synechron, an information technology company focused on the financial services industry, is increasing its global presence with its latest acquisition.