Business First Bancshares in Baton Rouge, La., plans to raise about $46.8 million from selling common stock.  The $5.5 billion-asset company said in a press release that it intends to sell 2.5 million shares at $20 each.   Business First plans to use the offering’s net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which may include augmenting capital, supporting organic growth, funding potential acquisitions and redeeming certain subordinated debt.    Stephens is

First Bancshares in Hattiesburg, Miss., took advantage of a second window to buy Heritage Southeast Bancorp. in Jonesboro, Ga.  The $6 billion-asset First agreed on July 27 to buy the $1.7 billion-asset Heritage Southeast in a deal valued at $207 million.    Hoppy Cole, First’s president and CEO, actually met with Leonard Moreland, Heritage Southeast’s CEO, in late January 2021 to discuss a deal, according to a regulatory filing associated with the pending merger. 

HomeStreet in Seattle has agreed to buy three branches in California from U.S. Bancorp and MUFG Union Bank.  U.S. Bancorp and MUFG Union said in a press release that the $8.6 billion-asset HomeStreet will buy locations in Big Bear Lake, Hesperia and Yucca Valley. The branches include $490 million of deposits and $22 million of loans.    The deal is expected to close in the first quarter. The price wasn’t

Intrafi, a fintech that provides cash and liquidity management services to financial institutions, has added the CEO of the nation’s biggest minority depository institution to its board.  Brian Argrett, president and CEO of the $1.2 billion-asset Broadway Financial in Los Angeles, is one of two additions to the fintech’s 14-member board.    Argrett was CEO of City First Bank of DC when it was acquired by Broadway in April 2021. 

Edward Jones in St. Louis has abandoned a two-year quest to form an industrial bank.  The company said in a regulatory filing that it had withdrawn its applications with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Utah Department of Financial Institutions. The broker/dealer referenced conversations with the FDIC and "the current environment."    The company said it is exploring other ways to offer banking products to its clients.    Edward Jones

Another executive from People’s United Financial has found a new home following the company’s sale to M&T Bank. Columbia Financial in Fair Lawn, N.J., said in a press release that it had hired Manesh Prabhu as its chief information officer. He is responsible for information systems and digital banking at the $9.8 billion-asset company.    Prabhu recently served as chief technology officer at People’s United, where he led IT strategy

Battle Financial, the holding company for a proposed digital bank in Avon, Colo., has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.  Organizers said in a press release that they expect to open the bank early next year.   “I’m pleased to have accomplished this key milestone with the OCC and am excited to be even closer to the official launch of a brand-new digital bank

Capital Bank in Rockville, Md., has tapped an insider to run its fintech business.  The $2.2 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Karl Dicker had become president of OpenSky and fintech. OpenSky is the bank’s secured Visa credit card.    “Karl has been instrumental in the development and growth of OpenSky,” Ed Barry, Capital’s CEO, said in the release. “Allowing him to narrow his attention to these lucrative