A prominent activist investor is looking to win a board seat at Peoples Financial in Biloxi, Miss.   Stilwell Associates disclosed in a regulatory filing that it plans to nominate Stewart Peck to stand for election at the $798 million-asset Peoples’ April 24 annual meeting.   Peck is senior counsel at Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard, a law firm with offices in New Orleans; Houston; Baton Rouge, La.; and

A group has formed a blank-check company in hopes of buying failed banks. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in December granted conditional approval for Porticoes National Bank with an understanding that the group will apply for Federal Reserve membership and obtain deposit insurance. Final approval “will not be granted unless all pre-opening requirements and conditions are met and the review factors required under the Bank Merger Act

Spring Bank in Brookfield, Wis., has a new CEO. The $365 million-asset bank said that Heather Nelson succeeded founding CEO David Schuelke. Spring Bank was formed in 2008. Nelson, who had been the bank’s president since January 2023, also joined the board.

Dime Community Bancshares in Hauppauge, N.Y., has launched a national deposits group. The $13.6 billion-asset company said in a press release that the group will focus on areas such as death care services, escrow servicing, family offices, software and third-party payment processors. Martin Ball, who was head of national deposits at Bank OZK, was named head of national deposits. Glen Carballo, formerly vice president in the national deposits group at

East Wisconsin Savings Bank in Kaukauna is planning to convert from a mutual holding company to a stock holding company.   The $263 million-asset bank said in a regulatory filing that EWSB Bancorp, a newly formed holding company, plans to sell about 1 million shares of stock.   EWSB must sell at least $743,750 shares and it could sell up to 1.16 million shares if there is enough demand.   Net

Sound Credit Union in Tacoma, Wash., has agreed to buy Washington Business Bank in Olympia – the sixth credit union-bank deal announced this year. The $2.9 billion-asset Sound said in a press release that it will buy the $105 million-asset bank for $34 to $36 a share in cash. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. “Washington Business Bank has served as a cornerstone for local business

Cross River Bank in Fort Lee, N.J., has formed an investment banking division. CRB Group, the parent of the $8.7 billion-asset Cross River, said in a press release that CRB Securities will be led by Benjamin Samuels and Henry Pinnell, who will serve as co-heads of investment banking. Samuels previously served as co-head of alternative capital and Morgan Stanley, while Pinnell was a senior managing director at SVB Securities and

Bancorp 34 in Scottsdale, Ariz., reported a quarterly loss that largely reflected costs tied to a pending acquisition.   The $581.3 million-asset company lost $1.7 million in the fourth quarter, which included $1.7 million in expenses tied to its plan to buy CBOA Financial in Tucson, Ariz. Bancorp 34 also said that higher funding costs as a factor.   Separately, Bancorp 34, which lost nearly $2.3 million in the third