A July pickup in activity is just a start, experts say. The banking industry's drive for scale and greater efficiency is expected to drive a renewed wave of consolidation, pushing the institution count lower.

The banking subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation is discarding six brand names to unify under the Western Alliance Bank moniker; longtime JPMorgan advisor Vishal Idnani will join Western Alliance as its next CFO; First Community in Lexington, South Carolina, will acquire Signature Bank of Georgia; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Prosperity Bancshares announced plans to buy Corpus Christi-based American Bank Holding Corp. in an all-stock deal.

A spike in the bank's noninterest income powered its better-than-expected net income and revenue in the second quarter.

The Pittsburgh-based bank's average loans increased 2% from the prior quarter, its largest jump since the end of 2022.

As the $4.6 trillion-asset bank looks to deploy its excess capital, investing in growth is the top priority. But there aren't many tempting acquisition opportunities for the megabank right now, CEO Jamie Dimon said Tuesday.

The Columbus, Ohio-based company plans to acquire Veritex Holdings, which has grown into one of the Lone Star State's biggest commercial banks over the past 15 years.

The buyer said its $70 million cash-and-stock deal for Farmers State Bank will boost its presence in the northeast section of Ohio, and provide plenty of low-cost deposits

Business First Bancshares CEO Jude Melville and Progressive Bancorp head George Cummings are both second-generation bank CEOs — common ground that helped propel an $83 million merger deal.

The parent company of Wayne Bank said it would buy PB Bankshares for $54.9 million in cash and stock.

Baton Rouge-based Business First Bancshares would pad its margin as Louisiana's largest state-chartered bank with an all-stock deal for Progressive Bancorp.

Rocket Mortgage's acquisition of Redfin has been mischaracterized as harming competition in the mortgage lending space. The truth is that it could be a major boon for mortgage borrowers.

Capital One closed the deal to buy the credit card provider in May and as part of the review process, decided to exit its home equity lending business.

In a rare move for a credit union, the Seattle institution has snapped up the 13-member team that created EarnUp's AI Advisor product.

Baton Rouge-based Investar Holding Corp. has agreed to pay $84 million for Wichita Falls Bancshares, which operates five branches in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

The all-cash transaction will make the enlarged company the U.K.'s third-largest lender by some measures.

Megadeal activity picked up in June.

Richmond, Virginia-based Atlantic Union Bankshares has sold $2 billion in performing commercial real estate loans to Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies. 

Lenders have been an underdog in the broader market's rally. Now, with stress-test results and the easing of bank capital rules on the horizon, there's a chance for bank stocks to break out.

The prolific purchaser is entering the state in a bid to expand its Southwest presence.