Strategic buyers

Renasant is requiring Brand Group to sell $55 million in classified loans before closing the deal, while attaching an incentive for the seller to get as much as possible for those sales.

The Tennessee company has been buying banks in smaller markets and college towns where it rarely has to compete with financial giants.

The deal for the San Diego company would be PNC's second nonbank acquisition in less than a month.

The number of deals, overall dollar volume and premiums are on pace to top those from a year earlier, giving hope that even more consolidation will take place in 2018.