The federal Small Business Investment Company program has seen a spike in interest since a new rule incentivizing support for early stage companies took effect in 2023. Now there is growing political support for ways to further bolster the program.

Equity Bancshares said it would pay nearly $87 million in cash and stock to acquire NBC Corp. of Oklahoma. If it closes, the deal will be Equity's 13th bank acquisition since 2015.

With South Florida's economy expected to continue outperforming the rest of the nation, Banesco USA is laying plans to extend its reach into Broward, the wealthy and populous county just north of its Coral Gables home base.

The proposed sale of Territorial Bancorp faced competing offers that delayed its closing by several months. But Hope ultimately won shareholder and regulatory approvals.

"I can't just go fishing in the ocean," said Grasshopper Bank CEO Michael Butler, referring to his bank's ability to gather deposits. "JPMorgan Chase is out there with a yacht, and I'm driving a small speedboat."

The $381 million deal for Alabama-based Southern States Bancshares would give FB entree to the sprawling Atlanta market. CEO Christopher Holmes said the bank would likely focus on nearby suburban communities initially.

Small lenders across the country, including Forte Bank in Wisconsin, promoted and recruited chief executives in recent weeks.

BMO hired former CEO of Citi Private Bank Halé Behzadi to accelerate the bank's growth strategy in California; Pennsylvania's Linkbancorp received regulatory approval to sell its New Jersey operations to a credit union; Dream First Bank announced plans to gain branches throughout Oklahoma; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The midyear fee hike was necessary to reverse a revenue shortfall in the agency's 7(a) program, according to Administrator Kelly Loeffler.

The Connecticut bank disclosed that Nasdaq waived a shareholder approval requirement so it could urgently raise more than $50 million. Patriot also said its finance chief would step down.

The Trump administration's plans for student loans could open the door for banks to grab market share as borrowers seek alternatives.

The North Carolina House of Representatives this week passed a measure that would allow credit unions to expand into geographic areas with few, if any, bank branches. Banks say such a change could open the door for credit unions to expand far beyond their limited missions.

The Mississippi lender said regulators have signed off sooner than expected on its $103.6 million acquisition of First Chatham Bank. The bank's CEO and deal advisers said the speedy approval bodes well for future M&A.

A proposal before Congress would incentivize the creation of new banks by offering capital relief. This would give de novo banks a competitive advantage over incumbent community banks.

San Antonio-based Broadway National Bank hopes marketing campaigns featuring old presidents with new looks will boost brand recognition in Dallas and Houston.

BankFirst Capital Corp. is seeking to bolster its presence in southern Mississippi with a deal to acquire Magnolia State.

The Connecticut bank said its newly minted president, Steven Sugarman, successfully led a private placement and signed a long-term employment agreement that makes him a potential CEO. David Lowery, current chief executive of Patriot, plans to step down in April.

The bipartisan co-chairs of the Community Financial Development Institution caucus sent a letter urging the Trump administration to continue supporting the CDFI Fund after it was slated for cuts in a recent executive order.

The Independent Community Bankers of America wants Congress to eliminate tax exemptions for credit unions with more than $1 billion of assets, scaling back an earlier request that would have targeted the entire credit union sector.

Coastal Financial's decision to report a material weakness won't impact previously disclosed bottom-line results, though it creates bad optics for the Everett-based company.