First Gothenburg to buy Foundation First in Nebraska bank merger
First Gothenburg Bancshares in Gothenburg, Neb., has agreed to buy Foundation First in Waterloo, Neb. The $1.2 billion-asset parent of Dayspring Bank expects to buy the holding company for the $200.9 million-asset Foundation First Bank in the second half of this year. The price was not disclosed. Olsen Palmer advised Foundation First.
First Hawaiian to make big mainland push with TriCo acquisition
First Hawaiian in Honolulu has agreed to buy TriCo Bancshares in Chico, Calif. The $24 billion-asset First Hawaiian said in a press release that it will pay $2 billion in stock for the $9.9 billion-asset TriCo. The deal, which is expected to close by the end of this year, priced TriCo at 198% of its […]
Bank of Washington in Missouri announces CEO’s death
The leader of the Bank of Washington in Missouri has died. The bank disclosed on LinkedIn that L.B. Eckelkamp Jr., its chairman and CEO, had passed away. “L.B. had a deep love for his hometown and demonstrated every day the values of hard work, honesty, humility, and selfless leadership,” the post said. “His vision, leadership, […]
Real estate firm MountainSeed raises $38M to build AI appraisal platform
MountainSeed, an Atlanta company that buys bank and credit union properties, raised $38 million in capital. The company said in a press release said that equity firm Long Ridge Equity Partners made a minority investment that will be used for an AI-focused valuation and appraisal review platform, among other things. “Banks and credit unions … […]
Gaming giant Sony gets conditional approval for stablecoin-focused trust bank
Sony Bank has received conditional OCC approval to open a national trust bank. Sony saidit plans to create Connectia Trust with $40 million in capital. The trust bank, which should open next year, would issue and manage a dollar-denominated stablecoin. The bank said late last year that it was planning to issue a dollar-pegged stablecoin that […]
FirstSun in Colo. to bump up provision due to pair of troubled loans
FirstSun Capital Bancorp in Denver warned that two commercial credits will ding its quarterly results. The company disclosed in a regulatory filing that its plans to record a loan-loss provision of $40 million to $41 million during the second quarter. Chargeoffs will range from $42 million to $43 million. The first lending relationship is an […]
Stilwell Group to launch proxy challenge at Central Plains in Nebraska
Stilwell Group plans to vie for two board seats at Central Plains Bancshares in Grand Island, Neb. Central Plains disclosed in a regulatory filing that the activist investor also plans to present a proposal at the next annual meeting that would require the company to buy back at least 10% of its outstanding common stock […]
Nation’s smallest standalone bank fails in Indiana
Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association of Kentland, Ind., has failed. The nation’s smallest standalone bank, with $3.7 million of assets, was closed today by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. as receiver. The FDIC sold substantially all of the bank’s assets and its deposits to […]
Business First in La. buys consulting firm American Planning Corp.
Business First Bancshares in Baton Rouge, La., bought consulting firm American Planning Corp. The $8.9 billion-asset Business First said in a press release that T. Jefferson Fair, American Planning’s CEO, and his team joined b1BANK subsidiary Smith Shellnut Wilson. The price wasn’t disclosed. American Planning offers outsourced CFO services, financial modeling, strategic planning, capital planning, […]
Hyperion in Philadelphia raises $14M to fund organic growth
Hyperion Bancshares in Philadelphia raised $14.1 million to expand in its headquarters city and Atlanta. The $553 million-asset company said in a press release that it sold $8.6 million in common stock and $6.1 million in preferred stock. The capital is expected to support the bank’s strategy while preserving lending capacity and maintaining regulatory capital […]
CBW Bank seeking OCC charter to expand digital assets operations
CBW Bank in Wichita, Kan., is seeking to switch to a national bank charter. The $66 million-asset bank applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to convert from a state banking charter. CBW is listed on the OCC’s digital asset licensing applications webpage under the pending applications section. The bank adds to […]
FDIC grants conditional approval for Bank of St. George in Utah
A group in St. George, Utah, has received conditional approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to form a bank. The organizers of the proposed Bank of St. George must raise $20 million of initial capital before opening the bank. The group initially applied to open the bank in 2019, but withdrew the application. They […]
Axos in Nevada to buy fintech Arc Technologies
Axos Financial in Las Vegas has agreed to buy Arc Technologies, a fintech that serves technology and growth companies. The $29.2 billion-asset Axos said in a press release that it expects the deal to close later this month. The price wasn’t disclosed. Arc provides cash management, capital markets, and AI-powered financial software solutions, helping businesses […]
Agricultural Banking to buy Buckley Bancorp in Illinois bank merger
Agricultural Banking Corp. in Paxton, Ill., has agreed to buy Buckley Bancorp in Buckley, Ill. Agricultural Banking, the holding company for the $200 million-asset Frederick Community Bank, said in a press release that it expects to buy the parent of the $50 million-asset Buckley State Bank in the fourth quarter. The price wasn’t disclosed Selected […]
BNPL pioneer Klarna seeking ILC in Utah
Klarna has applied for an industrial bank charter. The Swedish Buy Now, Pay Later pioneer filed its applications with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Utah’s Department of Financial Institutions. Klarna has partnered with U.S. banks, including WebBank, to offer some of its financial services. “Our own banking license is the natural next step, giving customers tools […]
Hometown in Mass. to buy Primary in N.H., convert to stock holding company
Hometown Financial Group in Easthampton, Mass., has agreed to buy Primary Bank in Bedford, N.H., in a move that will include Hometown’s conversion to a stock holding company. The $6.9 billion-asset Hometown said in a press release that it will pay $160 million in cash and stock for the $743 million-asset Primary. The deal is […]
Finward in Indiana released from MOU with FDIC, state regulator
Finward Bancorp in Munster, Ind., has been freed from another enforcement action. The company disclosed in a regulatory filing that its bank was released from an August 2024 memorandum of understanding with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions. Finward was previously freed in August 2025 from a November 2023 […]
National Bankshares in Virginia sheds restructures its securities portfolio
National Bankshares in Blacksburg, Va., sold underperforming securities. The company disclosed in a regulatory filing that it sold $131.9 million of securities as a pretax loss of $6.6 million. Proceeds were used to buy $127.3 million of higher-yielding securities. The company offset the hit with proceeds from the sale of its membership interest in Bearing […]
Bank7 in Oklahoma aims to buy Century Bank in New Mexico
Bank7 in Oklahoma City has agreed to buy a controlling stake in Century Financial Services in Santa Fe, N.M. The $2 billion-asset Bank7 said in a press release that it plans to buy a 71% stake in the holding company for the $1.4 billion-asset Century Bank for $68 million in cash. The shares are being […]
Patriot in Connecticut freed from January 2025 OCC formal agreement
Patriot National Bancorp in Stamford, Conn., has been freed from an enforcement action. The $1.3 billion-asset company said in a press release that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released Patriot Bank from a January 2025 formal agreement. “This important milestone is a testament to the terrific team Patriot Bank has assembled to […]
Southern Bancorp in Arkansas to rebrand as Uplift Bank
Southern Bancorp in Arkadelphia, Ark., has chosen a new name. The company said in a press release that it will rebrand as Uplift Bank. “For 40 years, we’ve worked alongside individuals, families, businesses, and communities to create pathways to financial opportunity for everyone, no matter their zip code,” Southern said in a LinkedIn post. “As […]
Regions in Alabama buys investment bank Frazier Lanier
Regions Financial in Birmingham, Ala., bought Frazier Lanier Company, an investment bank that specializes in municipal and corporate securities. The $161 billion-asset Regions did not disclose the price it paid for the Montgomery, Ala., investment bank. “By welcoming experienced bankers from Frazer Lanier to the Regions family, we are connecting Regions’ clients with even greater […]
MidMinnesota FCU to buy branch from Unity Bank in Wisconson
MidMinnesota Federal Credit Union in Baxter has agreed to buy a branch in Clarissa, Minn., from Unity Bank, Augusta, Wis. The $834 million-asset credit union said in a press release that the all-cash deal should close in the fourth quarter. The price wasn’t disclosed. The branch had $27 million in deposits and $3 million in […]
Commerce in Mo. to buy boutique investment bank Nolan & Associates
Commerce Bancshares in Kansas City, Mo., has agreed to buy boutique investment bank Nolan & Associates in St. Louis, Mo. Nolan provides sell-side, buy-side and capital raise advisory services to business owners, private equity firms and corporations in industries that including building products, transportation, logistics, energy, healthcare, telecom, business services, manufacturing, distribution and agriculture. Nolan […]
BankTech Ventures identifies 2026 investments
BankTech Ventures, an investment fund backed by banks, announced a new round of investments totaling $15 million over the past six months. The fund said that new portfolio companies and follow-on investments included: Coinbax, which deals in stablecoin payments via smart contracts with built-in risk controls and reversibility. FileJet, which offers automated compliance, reporting, and […]