Commercial
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Permission granted by Eastern Bank
Eastern Bank eschews M&A in face of investor complaint
Activist investor HoldCo Asset Management urged the bank to sell to a larger regional, such as M&T. Executives Friday said Eastern, after completing a deal last October, had attained “the size and scale to compete effectively.”
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 26, 2026 -
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FDIC conditionally approves Ford, GM ILC charters
Both automakers must stand up their respective banks within 12 months. After that, they must maintain a minimum 15% tier 1 leverage ratio.
By Gabrielle Saulsbery • Jan. 23, 2026 -
Explore the Trendline➔
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TrendlineArtificial intelligence
The heavily regulated banking sector rarely gets to trailblaze. But with AI, an all-in mentality is fueling both research and adoption.
By Banking Dive staff -
Caitlin Mullen/Banking Dive
Huntington doesn’t ‘need to be national to win,’ CFO says
Concentration on specific segments and geographies is “the predominant factor in success,” said the Ohio-based regional’s CFO, Zach Wasserman. “That's where we're doubling down.”
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 23, 2026 -
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Sunwest Bank moves on AI in search of efficiencies
Ben Xiang, the bank’s chief technology and strategy officer, plans to use AI to automate workflows and add intelligence capabilities to extract value.
By Makenzie Holland • Jan. 23, 2026 -
Alamy
KeyCorp names new lead independent director
Two other board members will retire at the bank’s annual meeting. Activist investor HoldCo Asset Management sought board changes, among other demands, in a presentation last month.
By Gabrielle Saulsbery • Jan. 21, 2026 -
Drew Angerer / Staff via Getty Images
‘We’re coming’ to ‘fight you,’ PNC’s Demchak warns banks
“A regional bank that’s trying to protect its moat in a shrinking market, as the large banks and PNC come into their market, is a tough place to be,” CEO Bill Demchak said.
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 21, 2026 -
Courtesy of Fifth Third
Fifth Third CEO flags acquisition-related cuts
A WARN notice Comerica filed this month indicates 184 jobs are being reduced at the Dallas-based bank’s Frisco, Texas, location.
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 20, 2026 -
Permission granted by First Horizon
First Horizon calls out Raleigh as a market of interest
The bank’s CFO said First Horizon isn’t interested in a large acquisition, but if a smaller bank with a handful of branches were to come for sale, “we’re going to run the math.”
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 16, 2026 -
Alamy
PNC mandates 5-day RTO starting May 4
Whispers about a return to full-time office work have been stirring at PNC since CEO Bill Demchak said in a December fireside chat that remote work “hurts” companies.
By Gabrielle Saulsbery • Jan. 15, 2026 -
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Deep DiveM&A in 2026 may put more distance between big, small banks
Expect the acceleration in bank M&A to pick up further, especially in advance of this year’s midterm elections.
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 15, 2026 -
Courtesy of Fifth Third Bank
Fed approves Fifth Third-Comerica deal
The transaction is expected to close Feb. 1, Fifth Third said. The green light, 99 days after proposal, comes despite an intense campaign by Comerica investor HoldCo Asset Management.
By Dan Ennis • Jan. 14, 2026 -
Permission granted by U.S. Bank
Q&AU.S. Bank exec: Customers will want a zero-friction bank partner on AI
“The new bar for digital excellence is, what can we do for our customers, as opposed to having them do it themselves,” the super-regional’s innovation chief said.
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 14, 2026 -
Permission granted by Regions Financial Corp.
Regions insider named next CFO
Anil Chadha, the Birmingham, Alabama-based bank's controller and head of corporate finance, will take the role after longtime CFO David Turner retires in March.
By Gabrielle Saulsbery • Jan. 13, 2026 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
JPMorgan CFO: Card interest cap would ‘significantly change’ bank’s business
The CFO of the largest U.S. lender didn’t rule out that the banking industry could take legal action if a credit card interest rate cap is imposed, as President Donald Trump has suggested.
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 13, 2026 -
Courtesy of U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank to buy BTIG for $1B to bolster capital-markets business
BTIG has served as an equity capital markets referral partner for U.S. Bank since 2014. The two firms subsequently launched an M&A advisory referral program.
By Dan Ennis • Jan. 13, 2026 -
Michael M. Santiago / Staff via Getty Images
Wells Fargo location in Connecticut votes against unionizing
Of 30 Wells branches to have held union elections, three have voted against unionizing. A Wells Fargo branch in Wallingford, Connecticut is one of them.
By Gabrielle Saulsbery • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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Comerica, Fifth Third shareholders back merger
Comerica shareholders ignored an activist investor’s urging to reject the deal, with 97% of votes cast Tuesday in favor of the bank’s acquisition by Fifth Third.
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 7, 2026 -
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4 banking trends to watch in 2026
This year is poised to show how far the groundwork laid in 2025 can carry the banking space – with regard to regulation, mergers and acquisitions, artificial intelligence and more.
By Caitlin Mullen , Gabrielle Saulsbery , Dan Ennis • Jan. 7, 2026 -
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Former Piedmont Bank execs start Georgia de novo
The bank, aiming to serve small-business clients, is scheduled to open in late February or early March.
By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 6, 2026 -
Spencer Platt / Staff via Getty Images
Citi cites $1.2B loss on Russia sale
The bank’s board approved the transfer of its Russia business to Renaissance Capital and will reclassify the assets as “held for sale.”
By Dan Ennis • Jan. 5, 2026 -
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Peruvian lender to acquire Florida’s Helm Bank for $180M
The vast majority of Helm’s loans comprise residential real estate from borrowers whose primary homes are outside the U.S.
By Dan Ennis • Jan. 5, 2026 -
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OceanFirst to buy Flushing Bank in $579M NY expansion
The transaction, including a $225 million investment from private-equity firm Warburg Pincus, would create a roughly $23 billion-asset bank with 80 locations.
By Dan Ennis • Jan. 5, 2026 -
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Wells Fargo alum tapped as Zions Bank’s next CEO
Nate Callister, the Salt Lake City-based lender’s executive director of commercial banking, will lead the bank after Paul Burdiss retires Dec. 31.
By Dan Ennis • Dec. 23, 2025 -
Permission granted by Huntington Bank
Huntington’s $7.4B Cadence deal gets regulatory sign-off
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency approved the acquisition 56 days after it was proposed – leaving just one multibillion-dollar banking deal from 2025 awaiting regulators’ blessing.
By Dan Ennis • Dec. 23, 2025 -
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Comerica-Fifth Third deal’s speed attacked by investor HoldCo
A presentation on the proposal comes as proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services recommends Comerica shareholders vote in favor of the acquisition Jan. 6.
By Caitlin Mullen • Dec. 23, 2025
