OceanFirst Bank in Toms River, N.J., now has extra reason to cheer for the Monmouth University men’s basketball team that was in the running for an NCAA tournament berth last season.

South State in Columbia, S.C., has terminated five loss-share agreements with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Digital tools improve a bank's traditional sales process, but relationship-based banking is still a huge factor in winning over millennial customers.

Franklin Financial Network in Tennessee hit a roadblock in its plan to buy Civic Bank & Trust in Nashville, but that didn't stop Franklin from hiring away Civic's chief executive.

His title may be changing, but Ray Davis' goal of altering the banking landscape remains the same. Davis, who will step down as Umpqua's CEO, will still run its innovation unit with a hope of influencing digital banking in the same way that he shook up retail banking.

Smaller institutions have added steadily to their holdings of securities that, while earning them a higher return, are more difficult to trade or liquidate.

The $3 billion-asset First United did not disclose how much it will pay for the $2.3 billion-asset American Bank. The deal is expected to close later this year.

The $380 million-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Wednesday that it had appointed Lawrence Seidman to its board, effective July 1.

The $5.3 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that it will buy two branches in the California markets of Granada Hills and Burbank from the $7.3 billion-asset Boston Private Financial Holdings in Boston.

First Mid-Illinois signed a confidentiality agreement last fall to pursue a mystery bank in Illinois. It soon discovered that the bank — First Clover Leaf — was an institution it had heavily courted three years earlier.

Two directors have resigned at 1st Constitution Bancorp as part of a dispute over changes to the Cranbury, N.J., company's board structure.

First Bancorp in Southern Pines, N.C., has agreed to buy Carolina Bank Holdings for $97.3 million, or $19.26, in cash and stock.

More institutions are willing to pursue small acquisitions, or rely on organic growth, to cross over a regulatory threshold that includes interchange fee caps and stress testing. A big reason is that bankers are becoming more comfortable with the financial toll of such regulation.

FVCBankcorp in Fairfax, Va., and Independent Bank Group in McKinney, Texas, are raising capital through private and public offerings of subordinated notes.

First Citizens BancShares in Raleigh, N.C., has terminated five of its nine loss-share agreements with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Financial incentives leading firms to strengthen risk governance internally is better than regulators mandating risk management standards.

Union Bankshares in Virginia is among the ranks of banks nearing $10 billion in assets. Unlike many banks of its size, Union feels no pressure to pursue a transformational deal to offset increased regulatory costs.

Pacific Continental in Eugene, Ore., is planning to issue $35 million in subordinated debt that could help it fund future acquisitions.

Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., will have a new chief executive in 2017. The company said Monday that Ray Davis, 67, will step down as president and CEO, effective Jan. 1. Davis, who will become executive chairman, will be succeeded by Cort O'Haver, who was named president of Umpqua Bank in April.

The bank is rolling out a new digital advice offering that pairs robo technology with financial advisers, most of whom have the CFP designation.