The asset-management arm of Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) announced Thursday that it is selling the assets of 16 mutual funds and about $5 billion in money market fund assets in two separate transactions.

Western Capital in Boise, Idaho, is expanding into neighboring Oregon with a deal to acquire the $104 million-asset Northwest Bank in Lake Oswego.

More banks are looking to cut costs by selling off branches built during the real estate boom. Thankfully, there are still banks with capital and a desire to pick and choose assets and bargain prices, helping to fuel the market.

First Southern Bank in Boca Raton, Fla., announced Wednesday that its president, Lynne Wines, has added the title of chief executive officer and has been elected to its holding company's board of directors.

An ailing Milwaukee community bank that needs to bolster its capital levels is about to receive a significant cash infusion from a prominent local family.

BATON ROUGE, La. — In a rare deal, Pelican State FCU said this morning it is transferring its Chalmette branch and 600 member accounts there it acquired in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to nearby Eagle FCU.

The prepaid card marketer Green Dot (GDOT) has completed its acquisition of the location-based deals company Loopt.

Toronto-Dominion Bank has a secret weapon in its aggressive plans for international growth: sunny television personalities Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa.

Banks announced 21 deals in March, capping the best quarter for M&A in nearly two years. Investment bankers say the momentum should continue to build throughout the year, adding that 2013 should be a particularly busy year of consolidation.

Signature Bank (SBNY) in New York has launched a new specialty finance company and has hired a team of executives away from rival Capital One Financial (COF) to run it.

Google (GOOG) has acquired the prepaid card processor TxVia, the companies said Monday.

A breakdown of M&A announcements for the last week

Raymond James Financial Inc. dismissed more than 200 employees as the wealth-management firm completed its acquisition of Morgan Keegan & Co., according to chief executive officer Paul Reilly.

A failed bank deal in Michigan last week could be a financial and symbolic boon for Huntington Bancshares.

High asking prices and stubborn CEOs will keep M&A tepid in the short run, but eventually it will pick up — and two or three regionals in the Midwest and South could disappear, panelists on an American Banker Roundtable said.

Heading into 2011, there were multiple signs that it would be an active year for bank mergers and acquisitions. But as we know, industry M&A fell well short of expectations.

Shares of Yadkin Valley Financial (YAVY) jumped nearly 10% Friday after an analyst identified the company as a possible "takeover target."

Participants in a recent American Banker roundtable debate to what extent tougher supervision for banks above $50 billion of assets will deter deals among banks below the threshold.

New York Community would be paid $24 million to assume $2.3 billion of deposits from Aurora Bank, a former Lehman unit. The liquidity could be used to retire bonds coming due, Joseph Ficalora says.

First Mariner Bancorp has warned investors that it is in danger of failing.