The Long Island-based thrift, long associated with multifamily and CRE lending, saw business lending spike the past year as it onboarded 15 banking teams. Other banks that did significant hiring have also reported more deposits and wider margins.

New executives were lined up for lenders across the country, including Fremont Bank in California.

When banks realize they are unable to continue their operations, a credit union is often a natural partner to consider.

The agency admitted navigating the different rules and regulations involved in its four existing lines of credit proved time consuming and confusing and kept some lenders from offering them altogether.

The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index was up 18% year to date through July, supporting expectations for more banks to use their shares as currency to take out competitors.

Despite the continuing trends of consolidation and limited startup activity, bankers and industry insiders say there is a path forward. But small lenders must evolve with changing technology.

The five largest bank M&A deals had an average deal value of more than $1.2 billion.

The Hammond, Louisiana, company, which announced changes to its business strategy, cut 71 jobs and reduced its dividend to 8 cents per share.

The $330 million transaction announced late Monday would give the Jasper-based company a foothold in fast-growing Columbus, as well as in Cincinnati.

The buyer said the all-stock deal to buy The First Bancshares would create a combined bank with $25 billion of assets.

The Wilmington, North Carolina-based institution is pursuing a model that cuts out the middleman and embeds its services directly into fintech partners' platforms.

Friday's deal for Premier Financial ends a five-year M&A hiatus for the Wheeling, West Virginia-based company while marking its expansion into Michigan.

ChoiceOne Financial Services would pay about $180 million to acquire Fentura Financial in a bid to expand in Detroit's suburbs. The deal would create a bank with more than $4 billion of assets.

The $73.5 million all-stock deal, slated to close early in 2025, would create a bank with more than $3 billion of assets.

Old National Bancorp's earnings remained strong as it continued its expansion into the southeast with its recent $344 billion acquisition of CapStar. Executives said they foresee similar growth for the remainder of the year.

See which bank topped American Banker's annual ranking of the best-performing midsize institutions.

The top-performing banks with between $10 billion and $50 billion of assets boasted relatively strong loan portfolios and expense control.

Congress needs to take immediate action to reform policies that foster this trend and ultimately subsidize banking consolidation on Main Street, writes Rebeca Romero Rainey, president and CEO of the Independent Community Bankers of America.

After its planned sale to a larger competitor fell through, the renamed bank plans to expand into new markets, starting with St. Louis.

Higher funding costs, lower loan demand and the potential for increased credit costs continue to drag on the sector heading into second-quarter earnings season.