Robert Wilmers, the chairman and CEO of M&T Bank who retired for a couple of years and then came back to work, has staged a second act arguably more successful than his first.

Jacksonville Bancorp (JAXB) plans to raise up to $50 million by selling securities to a group of investors led by the Florida company's biggest shareholder.

The announcement by M&T that it's buying Hudson City reflects both the acquirer's deal-making skills and the difficulty of changing strategies in today's environment—as the once high-flying seller had sought to do before deciding to sell.

Independent Bank in Rockland, Mass., has filed a shelf registration to raise up to $125 million.

Continuing its rapid growth in the Northeast, M&T Bank in Buffalo, N.Y., announced early Monday that it is buying Hudson City Bancorp in Paramus, N.J., for $3.7 billion in cash and stock.

The hotel industry expects to collect $1.95 billion this year on charges for extras such as Internet fees, telephone surcharges and business center and resort fees, according to a study.

M&T Bank agreed to buy Hudson City Bancorp to expand in New Jersey in a deal valued at about $3.7 billion.

The Jersey City, N.J. government has approved a contract with a collection agency to track down millions of dollars in delinquent municipal court fines.

Hamilton Bank in Baltimore has received regulatory approval to take the second step to a stock-owned company from a mutual holding company.

First California Financial Group faces investor pressure to sell and an unsolicited bid from PacWest Bancorp. Yet it danced around its vulnerable M&A status in a proxy filing on its deal to buy Premier Service Bank.

Mutual holding companies appear to be fleeing the format and converting to stock companies, but Northeast Community CEO Kenneth Martinek remains a staunch supporter of the model. That may be partly because he's being sued by an activist investor who is pushing him to convert Northeast to a stock company from an MHC.

The CEO of First PacTrust will now share his title with an investor and director, who the bank hired to oversee nonbank deals.

BB&T (BBT) will lay off as many as 365 employees in connection with its acquisition of BankAtlantic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., according to a filing with the state government.

Louisiana officials heard Wednesday from several collection agencies as it reviews a plan to pursue $1.4 billion in past-due accounts.

Malvern Federal Bancorp (MLVF) in Paoli, Pa., will raise up to roughly $36.4 million by converting to a 100% stock-owned company from a mutual holding company.

Investor and director Steven Sugarman will now share CEO duties with Gregory Mitchell at First PacTrust of Irvine, Calif. The company announced a bank deal Wednesday, and Sugarman is expected to take lead on nonbank deals.

First PacTrust Bancorp (BANC) has landed another deal and a co-chief executive.

A Newport Beach, Calif., firm that buys problem loans from banks has struck its second deal in less than a week.

Dealmakers have been pushing bankruptcy recapitalizations for a few years. The time may now be ripe with credit quality improving while debt loads linger.

Merger will allow the trading software vendor to broaden its range of business intelligence offerings.