Many banks tapped the brakes on mergers and acquisitions this year amid economic and regulatory challenges. But executives at banks with a history of dealmaking say conditions could be right for them to return to buying mode next year.

Months prior to its failure, Citizens Bank in Sac City had entered into a consent order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Iowa Division of Banking due to problems in its portfolio of commercial trucking loans.

The island state's biggest banks — which reported lower profits in the third quarter — say it is too soon to fully assess the economic fallout from the deadly August wildfires. The rebuilding effort could boost near-term deposit growth and long-term loan demand, they said.

A $35 million capital bump from a once-hostile investor group may have helped the Philadelphia bank avoid collapse. Still, it reported $30 million of quarterly operating losses and heavy securities risk in a recently filed call report.

Amid intense regulatory scrutiny, market volatility and economic uncertainty, 10 bank M&A deals have been scrubbed so far this year after 13 were scuttled last year. Deal activity has risen slightly lately, but the new normal is hard to gauge.

Washington Trust shares plunged after the Westerly, Rhode Island, company disclosed it booked an office deal in the third quarter, boosting the size of its portfolio while other lenders are pulling back.

The Indiana bank said it agreed to acquire CapStar Financial in an all-stock deal that would hasten its growth in Tennessee.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra says that a recently proposed data-access rule would provide a competitive edge to small banks over their larger competitors.