Citigroup agreed to sell its India retail banking business for about 123 billion rupees ($1.6 billion) cash to Axis Bank, as the U.S. lender seeks to consolidate its operations in identified markets.

The $168 million deal would mark the third acquisition of 2022 for Seacoast and continue a years-long effort to bulk up via M&A.

The acquisitive Massachusetts company said it would pay $146.5 million to acquire Randolph and its $800 million-asset subsidiary, Envision Bank.

The pace of deal activity in 2022 is far lighter than it was a year earlier. "Going forward as an industry, we're going to be more selective because of the elongated approval process,” said Jim Ryan III, CEO of Old National Bancorp. Additionally, rising interest rates have led sellers to demand bigger payouts.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has submitted its request for information — which asks whether banks should bear the burden of proof in merger applications and how much input the CFPB should have in approving deals — to the Federal Register.

Citizens Financial Group is mulling the acquisition of a wealth manager or even a lender in Florida following a deal spree by the bank last year, CEO Bruce Van Saun said.

The niche railcar leasing unit, which the North Carolina company inherited with its acquisition of CIT, may generate roughly 25% of the combined entity's noninterest income, executives said. They vowed to slow the sale of boxcars that had been underway at CIT.

Farmers National Banc Corp. in Canfield has agreed to buy Emclaire Financial in neighboring western Pennsylvania — its first move across state lines.

The North Carolina bank’s earlier $60 billion plan, which was tied to the BB&T-SunTrust merger, is set to expire this year. Its new efforts are a sign that such deals aren't always one-off arrangements meant to grease the rails for an acquisition.

Bank of Montreal is selling about C$2.7 billion ($2.1 billion) in shares to help fund its purchase of Bank of the West from BNP Paribas. 

The Federal Reserve's unanimous approval is a win for the Rhode Island company, though it will have have to take part in an additional round of stress tests in 2023.

A $1.9 billion lawsuit against Bank of Montreal — which is accused of lying to a judge after a predecessor bank destroyed documents — may go to trial late this year. The legal imbroglio is coming to a head as regulators examine the Canadian banking giant’s proposed acquisition of Bank of the West.

The two similarly named companies had planned to merge. At issue is whether Amalgamated Financial in the Big Apple violated terms of that agreement when it called off the deal in February.

Ramp, a startup that offers corporate cards and other finance tools to businesses, raised $750 million in a funding round that valued the fintech at $8.1 billion.

Banks across Europe and the U.S. committed to lend tens of billions of dollars for leveraged buyouts and acquisitions. Now they need to find buyers for the debt, and demand is relatively weak.

Seven of the 10 largest merger agreements since 2012 have been struck in the last year and a half. Here's a look at how they stack up against each other.

The two Wisconsin banks have roughly $3 billion of assets and more than 20 branches.

JPMorgan Chase agreed to buy Global Shares, a provider of cloud-based software for managing employee share plans, as the biggest U.S. bank scoops up firms to fend off competition.

In a survey last month, only one in 10 chief executives identified mergers as their top priority, while 77% pointed to organic growth. The sparse interest in dealmaking may be due to volatile markets, along with slower approvals from regulators.

M&T-People's closing date set, U.S. Bank's WNBA deal and more in banking news this week.