Infrastructure

More U.S. states are legalizing sports gambling, providing a huge opportunity for payments companies that have been fattened by multibillion-dollar mergers.

Two of the three multibillion-dollar payment mergers announced in 2019 closed this week, and these global giants must now fend off the invigorated fintechs eager to nab unhappy merchant and bank clients.

Zack Bishop has experience in blending the systems of merged banks, according to Synovus, which this summer announced its first whole-bank deal in more than a decade.

The acquisition will increase Horizon’s core deposits and add branches around Indianapolis.

The company will also acquire three branches in Worcester County, Mass., when it buys the parent of Milford National Bank and Trust.

Premier Financial agreed to buy First Bank of Charleston for $33 million.

The Arkansas company's earnings fell 52% from a year earlier, reflecting a higher provision, a revaluation of its deferred tax asset and higher costs following a series of bank acquisitions.

Loan growth drove the New York bank’s 20% increase in third-quarter earnings, and those results don’t include its acquisition of Astoria Financial this month.

Valley National's latest acquisition would make it a much bigger player in Florida and provide a platform to write more auto loans. Both markets present attractive returns but high risks.

The Texas company would add seven branches and more than $300 million of assets by acquiring Valley Bancorp.