Americas

Planters Holding in Indianola, Miss., has agreed to buy Covenant Financial in Clarksdale, Miss.

While in talks to buy National Penn Bancshares, BB&T circulated an email to help key executives understand Pennsylvania’s prominent cultural and religious groups.

Horicon Bank in Horicon, Wis., has agreed to acquire a branch in Fond du Lac, Wis., from Baraboo National Bank.

Market Street Bancshares in Mount Vernon, Ill., has completed a $15 million debt offering.

Esquire Bank, a Garden City, N.Y., bank that specializes in financial services for law firms, has raised $19.1 million in a private placement of common stock.

Old National Bancorp in Evansville, Ind., has named National Guard officer Katherine White to its board.

Bankwell Financial Group in New Canaan, Conn., has issued $25.5 million in subordinated debt and it plans to exit the Small Business Lending Fund program.

AJS Bancorp in Midlothian, Ill., has hired a replacement for its chief financial officer, who resigned earlier this month.

New Jersey Community Bank's chairman has resigned, less than four months after he quit as chief executive of the Freehold bank.

Depositors at mutuals in Ohio and Massachusetts have approved measures making it more difficult for their institutions to convert to stock ownership. Still, many industry observers believe the mutual industry is poised for more consolidation.