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.

On Dec. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

On Dec. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

The Boston-area mutual has agreed to acquire Patriot Community Bank, a single-branch lender based in Woburn, Massachusetts.

Following the departure of longtime chairman and CEO Dan Sheehan, the company has chosen Abel Iglesias, president of Professional’s bank subsidiary, as the new CEO. Meanwhile, director Herbert Martens has become nonexecutive chairman.

The Federal Reserve and the FDIC are weighing changes to their policies for reviewing mergers and acquisitions, and that’s creating a sense of urgency among bankers to cinch deals now.

Buying BT Holdings in Texas will take the Louisiana bank close to the size where it would face increased regulatory scrutiny and a reduction in interchange revenue.

The Houston bank negotiated the agreement with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition after closing its merger with BancorpSouth. That deal created a lender with $50 billion of assets and operations in nine states.

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

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

The Los Angeles bank did not explain what it is investigating. It announced record annual earnings of $56.9 million in January, but news of the investigation and the uncertainty around CEO Alan Thian sent its stock price downward by 15%.