Bank deals priced at or below tangible book value grew steadily in the first three quarters of 2012, and more are said to be coming as struggling banks start to turn the corner and attract buyers.

Overall, 81% of U.S. investors say they have some form of savings they can draw from if they lose their jobs, according to a Wells Fargo-Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index survey released Monday.

David Zalman of Prosperity Bancshares has struck five deals in a little over a year. And he say he sees more opportunities than ever.

Park Sterling Corporation (PSTB) in Charlotte, N.C., said Monday it has completed its purchase of Citizens South Banking Corp. in Gastonia, N.C., for $83 million, the same day Capital Bank Financial of Coral Gables, Fla., announced the completion of its acquisition of Southern Community Financial in Winston-Salem, N.C., for $47 million.

MetLife (MET) has another three months to tell regulators about its capital plans while it tries to sells its online bank to General Electric (GE).

Returns on equity. Loans. Deposits. Those are the things that make a seller attractive — not trading multiples and capital, says Prosperity Bancshares CEO David Zalman, who has struck five deals in Texas in slightly more than a year.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board stands ready to repeal a directive that allows banks to record a gain in income when the value of their own fixed-income securities decreases, and losses when the liabilities' worth rises.

The $1 billion-asset bank unit of Heritage Oaks Bancorp (HEOP) on Monday announced it would acquire a branch in Morro Bay from Coast Bancorp (CTBP) in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

A breakdown of bank M&A announcements for the week ended Sept. 29.

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., has agreed to buy another failed bank from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

To satisfy creditors, Big Sandy Holding's bankruptcy plan, filed on Thursday, calls for an auction of its $840 million-asset unit, Mile High Banks.

Bank of America said Friday it would pay $2.43 billion to settle a shareholder lawsuit over its purchase of Merrill Lynch, in an expensive effort to resolve one of many problems it faces from the financial crisis.

The $15.9 billion-asset bank said Thursday that Lisa Etre, William McCarthy and Jessica Ruiz have joined Signature from Hudson Valley Bank (HVB) in Yonkers, N.Y., and that Dennis Sheridan has joined from Valley National Bank (VLY) in Wayne, N.J.

MainSource Bank in Greensburg, Ind., has agreed to buy the assets managed by Krumme and Brock Investment Services in Seymour, Ind. The employees of the Krumme firm, including owners Galen Krumme and Cliff Brock, would join MainSource Bank's wealth management division.

An unnamed investor will inject $5.5 million into the troubled Anchor Commercial Bank in North Palm Beach, Fla., through a subscription agreement.

Hampton Roads Bankshares in Norfolk, Va., has completed its $45 million rights offering, though its private-equity partners were the largest contributors.

Aquiline Capital Partners, a private-equity firm based in New York, is buying First Investors Financial Services Group, a Houston auto lender, for $100 million.

Banks are growing increasingly worried that the failure to stem impending tax hikes and steep budget cuts could reduce lending demand, savage profits and cripple M&A activity.

The $1.5 billion-asset Fidelity said it plans to consolidate its existing branch in Liberty, N.C., into the newly acquired location less than a mile away.

Forget the chitchat, find seasoned bankers (especially from your previous employer) and invite them over to meet the CEO — that's the recruiting formula Rodney Rushing uses at ServisFirst.