The Florida bank said it would pay $173 million to buy Drummond Banking, which operates 18 branches in the northern part of the state.

United Community, which bought Reliant Bancorp in Tennessee earlier this year, would deepen its presence in several Southeastern markets and expand its wealth management business with its deal for Progress Financial.

Even "lifers" are considering new jobs as financial institutions bulk up to expand into new markets.

After failing to win funding for a direct-lending program last year, Small Business Administration chief Isabella Casillas Guzman says the agency continues to study the option because banks and credit unions are making fewer small-dollar 7(a) loans than several years ago.

First Century Bancorp has terminated its sale to First Internet Bancorp because the two banks were unable to close the transaction on schedule and failed to agree on terms for an extension.

First Citizens BancShares said its $2.2 billion acquisition of CIT Group, closed in the first quarter after months of regulatory delays, is finally coming together.

The new hires joined Veritex from Bank of Houston, which has also been aggressively recruiting bankers.

Lendistry, a fintech community development financial institution, obtained a license that allows it to become one of the few nondepository lenders with access to the Small Business Administration's flagship lending program.

The Mississippi-based First says the deal would allow it to acquire key talent, bolster its presence in northwest Florida and expand into the Tampa area.

Noah Bank is considering proposals from an investor group and a New Jersey-based peer.

Cleveland-based Ancora Holdings Group is picking up where it left off in 2019, calling for the sale of Middlefield Bancorp in northeast Ohio. Only this time Ancora says it's willing to initiate a proxy contest if management stands in the way of a possible transaction.

Year to date through Dec. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency recently decided to put an official in charge of the rising number of small and midsize national banks that partner with fintechs or have nontraditional business plans. The agency’s goal is to establish a team that understands cutting-edge technologies and establishes consistent oversight policies in response.

As inflation increases, more companies are shifting to remote and hybrid work to get their costs under control. Landlords could face rising vacancies and tumbling revenue, leaving them behind on loan payments.

The past two weeks have seen a flurry of deals wherein Truist, Capital One and others pitch their brand alongside professional teams and their stadiums.

The Philadelphia bank, headed by Vernon Hill, is already fighting two lawsuits from activist shareholder groups. It also risks being delisted by NASDAQ for indefinitely postponing the meeting.

Institutions are hiring aggressively or buying up competitors to take part in an equipment finance boom as the economy continues to heal.

On Dec. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

Increased interest income would boost banks’ lending profitability, but inflation and mounting expenses, along with the specter of potential recession, loom large.

Moves by bank lobbyists to try to restrict credit union-bank mergers could wind up depriving many consumers of needed financial services.