n ambitious merger of equals is underway in south central Wisconsin, bringing together two Madison-area organizations. The merger involves SBCP Bancorp, Inc., the holding company for the $1.6 billion State Bank of Cross Plains, and Monona Bankshares, Inc., the holding company for $1.17 billion Monona Bank. [Continue]
Buying and selling activity in banking was chugging along through February of 2020. The number of sellers was manageable, said David Stieber, an investment banker with Oak Ridge Financial, Minneapolis, and that created “a really good environment to feed bank M&A.” And just as life on earth as we knew it came to a screeching halt in March 2020, so too did bank M&A. [Continue]
Strong communication with employees to ease uncertainty and ensure proper governance is essential in successful M&A transactions. [Continue]
Community bankers need to consider a number of factors when embarking on M&As, according to CliftonLarsenAllen CPAs Joshua Juergensen and David Heneke. [Continue]
The team has worked hard to get the deal done. It looks like the close is imminent. Day One sets the tone for integration and your ability to realize the intended deal thesis. Have you properly prepared for this day and the days that follow? Being very clear on how this transaction will impact the organizations involved is extremely important. While you do not need to share in great detail, if you are clear up front, it can help alleviate many concerns and distractions, as well as allow individuals to identify opportunities to enhance the synergies. [Continue]
The last 18 months will undoubtedly be remembered for their impact on the economy and daily life. The effects of the coronavirus pandemic can certainly be seen in the valuations of community banks. [Continue]
Many banking organizations had a record year in 2020 and are wondering how to obtain a return on increased capital to best benefit the long-term strategic goals of the bank. This has resulted in an uptick in M&A activity and an analysis of new lending and investment opportunities. One area that many banks overlook, however, is the ability to return capital to shareholders via a tender offer. [Continue]
Banks can plan to mitigate margin compression by aggressively lowering cost of funds, look for growth opportunities in what is expected to be an accelerating M&A environment, and consider other opportunities to build shareholder value as they meet the changing needs of their local communities. [Continue]
With Huntington Bancshares’ acquisition of Michigan’s TCF Financial, the M&A market put an exclamation mark on 2020. [Continue]
As we moved through the first quarter of 2020, there was confidence that middle market mergers and acquisitions activity would trend back up for the year. And then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Despite the chaos, activity didn’t dry up completely. While there was a definitive dip initially, the market has bounced back sooner than expected. [Continue]