After the tumult of buying PacWest Bancorp, Banc of California is not only profitable again but surpassing Wall Street's expectations.

The Virginia-based bank said the Federal Reserve signed off on its acquisition of Sandy Spring Bancorp in Maryland. The transaction was the third-largest bank deal announced in 2024. It could be finalized as soon as April.

Frontwave Credit Union said it would acquire Community Valley Bank in a deal that would expand its footprint in San Diego and nearby counties. It comes on the heels of a record year for CU-bank combinations.

The Indiana-based company grew fourth-quarter loans and profits in part because of an acquisition in Nashville, and it expects to bulk up further with a deal in Minnesota's Twin Cities that was among the largest announced in 2024.

The male-heavy promotions cap more than a year of deliberation inside Goldman over how to designate the firm's next generation of leaders, giving the roster more influence in shaping the development of operations.

Full-year revenue growth was 4%, surpassing the 3% to 3.5% guidance the firm gave in December. Charles Schwab expects revenue to increase by 13% to 15% this year.

Wakefield, Massachusetts-based The Savings Bank named Raichelle Kallery as its president and CEO; Los Angeles-based Banc of California is donating $1M to launch a recovery fund in response to the wildfires devastating Southern California; Amazon agreed to acquire the Bengaluri-based fintech Axio; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The firms paid $60 million to settle the claims without admitting to or denying the regulator's allegations. 

The Columbus, Ohio-based bank's profit more than doubled in the fourth quarter from a year ago, with solid growth in loans and deposits.

The nation's second-largest bank issued guidance that net interest income will reach up to $15.7 billion by next year's fourth quarter, a 7% increase.

The nominee to lead Federal Housing Finance is head of Pulte Capital Partners, which invests in homebuilding related businesses.

The bank is "very optimistic" that Trump will appoint financial regulators who are "more balanced" than current agency heads, CFO Daryl Bible said.

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, Goldman Sachs is looking forward to the "improving regulatory backdrop."

Advisors predicted that more banks will do deals and those transactions will be larger in 2025 amid expectations for lighter regulatory scrutiny.

Lawsuits challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final rule on medical debt are the latest issues facing banks ahead of Donald Trump's return.

It's not just JPMorgan Chase. Across the industry, banks are rethinking their remote-work policies — but experts say it won't be easy to turn back the clock.

Banks seeking to offload CRE assets are finding a receptive marketplace while regulators have managed to keep the situation in balance, observers say.

The top five banks and thrifts had combined assets of more than $13 trillion as of Sept. 30.

The bank said it would acquire Bank of Idaho for $245.4 million in stock. It marked the 12th bank deal for Glacier over the past decade.