The expansion-minded Hampton Roads-based lender announced plans to acquire Dogwood State Bank just weeks before its plans to close a deal for a Virginia-based competitor.

Matt Mullet, the company's longtime chief financial officer, said he's spent the past year getting accustomed to the people side of management.

Medallion Financial CEO Andrew Murstein sees more growth on the horizon for the New York lender's fintech banking operation, which saw activity spike in the first half of the year.

Washington Trust Bank is executing a slow-but-steady de novo expansion inside the I-5 corridor on the western side of its home state. Its newest branch is slated to open this fall in Tacoma.

With its acquisition of a Cleveland-area bank still in the works, the Cincinnati-based bank struck a deal that would provide its first retail presence in Chicago.

Amid waning federal support for community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions, a program launched by two banking trade groups is beginning to generate a steady stream of deposits for mission-focused lenders.

Slashing capital requirements for the largest banks shows where the Federal Reserve's priorities lie — and it's not with community banks. This will make it even harder for small banks to compete with their larger peers.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp and Brookline Bancorp are eyeing a September closing for their merger of equals, to be followed by a phased rollout of the new Beacon Bank & Trust brand.

Coastal Community Bank reported smaller profits in the second quarter as it prepared for a growth spurt. "We think we're winning the right business," said CEO Eric Sprink.

High interest rates and tough economic conditions played a role in the credit woes that overcame BayFirst Financial's small-dollar lending effort.