Strategic buyers

Unexpected surge in loan demand provides earnings boost at Union

01/22/19

The Virginia company cautioned that it expects lending to slow down this year.

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KeyCorp’s deal for student lender raises eyebrows

01/17/19

Executives at Key pushed back against doubts over a deal for Laurel Road Bank’s digital lending platform so late in the credit cycle, arguing that its customers are prime borrowers with high incomes.

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Synovus to focus on merger integration, digital upgrade in 2019

01/15/19

The Georgia company will abstain from acquisitions this year as it looks to make internal improvements.

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Yellow lights instead of green for bank M&A deals

01/10/19

Shareholder approval, usually a formality, is far from guaranteed when an acquirer's share price is sliding.

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PacWest deal for El Dorado collapses

01/09/19

Tom Meuser, the chairman of El Dorado Savings in California, said he could not get the necessary two-thirds backing from his shareholders because of recent declines in bank stock prices.

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To seal deal for State Bank, Cadence sweetens the pot

12/26/18

Cadence has upped the exchange ratio by 10%, a move made necessary by the 40% decline in its stock price since the deal was announced in May.

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Trio of Georgia banks plan ambitious merger

12/21/18

The combination of CCF Holding, Heritage Bancorp. and Providence Bank will create a $1 billion-asset institution. Veteran bank investor Kenneth Lehman will be its chairman.

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Morris State expands in southeastern Ga. with FMB acquisition

12/13/18

Morris State will pay $24 million for the parent of Farmers & Merchants Bank.

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Blockchain hype, Mulvaney's BCFP, pot banking: Top stories of the week

12/07/18

Blockchain backers concede the hype is turning off bankers; Mulvaney's CFPB name change could cost industry millions of dollars; the one banking bill Congress might actually pass next term; and more from this week's most-read stories.

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Lifetime Achievement: State Bank's Joe Evans

11/26/18

Evans started off his banking career by offering cold cans of soda to farmers in the field in the hopes of earning their business. Five decades on, he's become a legend in Georgia banking circles for his prowess in building high-performing community banks and selling them for top dollar.

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