Columbus-based Northwest Bancshares finalized its acquisition of Penns Woods Bancorp; Barclays becomes the second U.K.-based bank to leave the Zero Banking Alliance; BankUnited announces the appointment of Michael Mitchell as executive vice president, director of branch banking; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The San Antonio-based company plans to remain in state borders, but sees opportunity for growth in major markets.

Growing loans was a tall order in 2024, but banks that could do just that were able to outperform their peers.

Eastern Financial Corp. provides a rich source of low-cost deposits that the larger Mercantile Bancorp can put to work in funding its much stronger loan growth.

A July pickup in activity is just a start, experts say. The banking industry's drive for scale and greater efficiency is expected to drive a renewed wave of consolidation, pushing the institution count lower.

Administration of the Community Development Financial Institution Fund at the Treasury Department will be led by the CDFI Fund's legal counsel following the resignation of the fund's director.

Prosperity Bancshares announced plans to buy Corpus Christi-based American Bank Holding Corp. in an all-stock deal.

John Buran shares how his New York bank and its small business customers are faring with tariff uncertainty — and how some have quickly changed suppliers and modified business plans — in the latest American Banker podcast.

Calls for applications for a bank-specific program within the Community Development Financial Institution Fund have been delayed, raising the possibility that those funds are unspent before the appropriated money expires.

The buyer said its $70 million cash-and-stock deal for Farmers State Bank will boost its presence in the northeast section of Ohio, and provide plenty of low-cost deposits

Seven of the 20 top-performing banks with $2 billion to $10 billion of assets last year were based in Texas. But it's not about being bigger.

Banks that kept a lid on their cost of funds managed to outperform their peers, illustrating the fact that 2024 was a defensive year for the industry.

First Northwest Bancorp is parting ways with CEO Matt Deines "by mutual agreement," the Port Angeles, Washington-based company said. Deines' departure comes a month after a hedge fund sued, alleging the lender was complicit in a Ponzi scheme.

Bill Martin, a real estate developer and athletics executive who founded the community bank in 1996, said he considers the privately held institution to be "like one of my kids."

Business First Bancshares CEO Jude Melville and Progressive Bancorp head George Cummings are both second-generation bank CEOs — common ground that helped propel an $83 million merger deal.

The parent company of Wayne Bank said it would buy PB Bankshares for $54.9 million in cash and stock.

Baton Rouge-based Business First Bancshares would pad its margin as Louisiana's largest state-chartered bank with an all-stock deal for Progressive Bancorp.

Community banks that could reel in cheap deposits while keeping a lid on expenses were able to outperform peers in 2024.

Baton Rouge-based Investar Holding Corp. has agreed to pay $84 million for Wichita Falls Bancshares, which operates five branches in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Dime Community Bancshares, which has added dozens of bankers over the past two years, is now ready to consider expanding its geography.