Community Bankshares has launched a unit that is originating Small Business Administration 7(a) loans for itself and aims to service them for other small lenders around the country.

The Connecticut bank expects to report a $9.5 million net loss for the fourth quarter, but it said it's made headway in its efforts to cultivate investors and bolster its capital levels.

The New York-based institution tapped the former Republic First CEO to help oversee its transformation from a predominantly multifamily lender into business bank.

Deal advisors said the Trump administration's tariff threats and the specter of inflation have given some bankers reason to pause on acquisition plans. Momentum could still mount, but uncertainty in Washington is a detriment early in the new year.

The three-year-old Newport Beach-based institution, which secured $500 million in investor pledges to acquire peers, says more dealmaking may be in the works.

Small lenders produced net interest margin expansion in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to interest rate cuts in the second half of 2024. Festering inflation, however, threatens to lead to rate increases that could stall their momentum.

The biggest decline was a 9.9% drop in deposits quarter-on-quarter as of Dec. 31.

An order permitting CSBH LLC in Powhattan, Virginia, to acquire a controlling stake in Industry Bancshares promises to give the Texas company a fresh start in one of the country's most attractive banking markets.

The Ontario-based lender announced a partnership that represents the first dividend from its recent acquisition of a Minnesota-based community bank.

Oil and gas companies are borrowing to invest in more drilling and new processing facilities to meet rising global needs for U.S. fossil fuels. Several banks said energy loan demand is expected to strengthen further this year.