Alpine Bancorp. in Illinois made its sale a highly inclusive process, forming a special evaluation team of senior leaders to help top management review offers.

It’s only early December, but bank CEOs’ comments this week about tax reform, their thirst for deposits, consumer lending initiatives, and challenges in commercial lending offer a sneak peek at what’s coming when earnings season begins next month.

Fifth Third last bought a bank in 2008, but CEO Greg Carmichael says "strategic bank M&A absolutely makes sense," and the Cincinnati bank is poised to clear up a blot on its regulatory record that blocked dealmaking.

Airlink's knowledge of the local market and relationships with banks, acquirers and large merchants in region will help the Paris-based Ingenico grow in Taiwan and strengthen its position in Northeast Asia.

The resulting entity will serve approximately 24,000 members with $225 millionin assets.

The $32 million purchase of Sunshine Financial will provide First Bancshares with its first branches in Tallahassee, Fla.

After two century-old community institutions merged in 2010, they never suspected it would take seven years before their operating systems got along.

SunTrust sold an insurance financing unit that it deemed noncore, but it is on the lookout to buy more complementary businesses such as a CRE lender it acquired last year.

The Tennessee company also set high expectations for revenue opportunities while projecting it will deliver a 15% return on equity in 2019.

The two tiny credit unions merged with the $313 million Pelican State on Nov. 1 and Dec. 1 of this year.

The combination of the two Orange County-based credit unions will create a $1.4 billion-asset institution.

The company agreed to buy TCSB Bancorp, the parent of Traverse City State Bank, for $63 million.

Guaranty Federal Bancshares in Springfield, Mo., has agreed to buy Hometown Bancshares in Carthage.

The $528 million acquisition ends months of speculation that the foreign-owned banks were pursuing a deal.

Five years have passed since M&T agreed to buy Hudson City, only to be tripped up by anti-money-laundering issues. With a clean bill of health from regulators and Hudson integrated, management is again talking about its interest in deals.

For her entrepreneurial spirit and for bringing hometown banking back to Baltimore, Mary Ann Scully has been named a 2017 Banker of the Year award winner.

The bank has taken a decisive step to protect its asset quality, but the move also raises questions about what will drive loan growth in the future — and whether the company is on the block.

The transaction is still subject to regulatory and shareholder approval, but is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2018.

The service will require more coordination between the bank and its parent company, BNP Paribas.

Integrity is set to become the third Houston-area bank acquired by Independent in recent years.