George Makris Jr. is back at the helm of Simmons First National in Pine Bluff, Ark. The $27.3 billion-asset company said in a press release that Makris, who was CEO from 2014 to 2022, will return to the post on Jan. 1. He will succeed Bob Fehlman, who is stepping down "to focus on personal interests and family medical issues." Fehlman will serve in an advisory role through the first

Valley National Bancorp in New York brought in nearly $449 million by selling common stock. The $62 billion-asset company, which has been shedding commercial real estate loans, disclosed in a regulatory filing that it sold 49.2 million shares, including 6.4 million shares tied to its overallotment option, at $9.35 a share. Valley has been selling loans as part of a plan to lower its ratio of CRE to risk-based capital

Dime Community Bancshares in Hauppauge, N.Y., is raising $125 million to potentially reposition its balance sheet. The $13.7 billion-asset company disclosed in a presentation that it plans to sell common stock through a follow-on offering. The company could increase the offering by 15% if there is enough demand. Net proceeds could be used to support organic growth and could include use as working capital, investments in the company's bank and

Carver Bancorp in New York is facing a proxy challenge from a big investor. Dream Chasers Capital Group, which owned about 9.7% of Carver's outstanding stock, said in a press release that it had nominated two individuals to run for board seats at the company's Dec. 12 annual meeting. Jeff Anderson is a former chief financial officer of JPMorgan Chase's northeast region retail banking organization, while Jeffrey Bailey, CEO of

Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation placed Alliance Credit Union of Florida in Gainesville into conservatorship. The National Credit Union Administration was appointed as the conservator for the $59 million credit union, which has about 5,400 members. Alliance Credit Union of Florida serves people who live or work in Florida's Alachua, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties.

DCFU Financial in Dearborn, Mich., has agreed to buy Winter Park National Bank in Winter Park, Fla. The $7 billion-asset credit union said in a press released that Winter Park would be its third acquisition in Florida. The price wasn’t disclosed. “We are thrilled to announce this acquisition and deepen our commitment to serving the communities in Florida,” Ryan Goldberg, the credit union's president and CEO, said in the release.

Valley National Bancorp in New York is planning to raise $400 million. The $62 billion-asset company said in a press release that it will sell about 42.8 million shares of common stock at $9.35 each. Valley could sell another 6.4 million shares if there’s enough demand. The offering is expected to close on Nov. 12. Valley plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes and to invest in its

Shareholders at Territorial Bancorp have approved the Honolulu company's sale to Hope Bancorp in Los Angeles, thwarting an effort by an investor group to derail the deal. The $2.2 billion-asset Territorial did not disclose the percentage of shares that backed its sale. “We expect our combination with Bank of Hope to strengthen Territorial for the long term, providing many advantages for our customers and employees as we become part of