The pace of deal activity in 2022 is far lighter than it was a year earlier. "Going forward as an industry, we're going to be more selective because of the elongated approval process,” said Jim Ryan III, CEO of Old National Bancorp. Additionally, rising interest rates have led sellers to demand bigger payouts.

The Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, institution uses a fleet of traveling branches to reach far-flung customers who largely eschew modern technology.

Farmers National Banc Corp. in Canfield has agreed to buy Emclaire Financial in neighboring western Pennsylvania — its first move across state lines.

Burke & Herbert, which is based in Alexandria and has been in operation since 1852, has joined a long list of banks planting their flags in Richmond, where the overall deposit market has grown 32% in just five years.

Banking executives and analysts worry that the Federal Reserve's aggressive plan to raise interest rates will be insufficient to tame inflation and overcome economic fallout from the war in Ukraine.

Lynn Fuller, a onetime CEO of the Iowa company, called his ouster “retaliation” for publicly criticizing Heartland’s strategy. He had planned to step down as chairman in May.

The Vernon Hill-led bank is being buffeted by a board rebellion, a lawsuit and a burgeoning proxy fight all tied to the complaints of two investor groups that say their returns are subpar if not in the negative.

The bank announced the departure of two longtime directors and the addition of four new board members. CEO Jerry Plush is becoming chairman as part of the shake-up.

CEO Nitin Mhatre, who joined the Massachusetts bank in 2021, said that any M&A deal is at least a year away. For now, the bank is working with fintechs as a way to bolster its balance sheet and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

The syndicated loan, which was led by Citizens Trust Bank in Atlanta and Carver Federal Savings Bank in New York, marks the first time that a professional sports league has gotten a loan financed entirely by Black-owned banks. Those involved hope it starts a trend.

The sale of Partners Bancorp in Maryland to OceanFirst Financial in New Jersey was expected to be approved by midyear. But regulators' reviews of the applications are taking longer than expected, meaning the companies can no longer “give any assurance as to the timing” of the deal's completion, Partners says.

Newtek, the No. 2 originator of Small Business Administration 7(a) loans, is buying a single-branch bank in New York. The news sent its stock price tumbling as shareholders revolted, but CEO Barry Sloane is staying the course.

On Dec. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

On Dec. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

Five Star Bank, which is based in a rural part of New York state, has embraced digital lending, banking-as-a-service, real-time payments, bitcoin and more. “Those that don’t innovate don’t survive,” says Chief Administrative Officer Sean Willett.

The Louisiana-based Barksdale has agreed to purchase HomeBank of Arkansas. It is the fourth deal involving the sale of a bank to a credit union in less than two weeks.

The $142 million deal would vault the buyer from the 21st-largest bank in Philadelphia to the 12th largest.

TriCo Bancshares said regulators will allow it to finalize its $165.6 million acquisition of Valley Republic. The deal was initially expected to close last year.

Robins Financial Credit Union is acquiring the $430 million-asset Persons Banking Co. The deal, announced Monday, comes less than a week after Georgia’s Own Credit Union in Atlanta said it is buying Vinings Bank in Smyrna.

The New York bank said it called off the acquisition of Amalgamated Bank of Chicago because it has been unable to obtain regulatory approval. But the seller expressed hope that the deal could still move forward.