Mastercard-PayPal agentic AI pact shakes up e-commerce
In an expanded partnership announced Monday, the card network and payment fintech will enable hundreds of millions of consumers and tens of millions of merchants to use new forms of artificial intelligence for shopping and payments.
Huntington’s $7.4B deal for Cadence continues Texas push
The transaction, which would give Huntington a top-five market share in both Dallas and Houston, comes just a week after the Ohio-based buyer closed its last Texas acquisition.
Banks must embrace the role of stewards of customers’ digital identity
Banks should seize the opportunity to assert themselves as a key partner for consumers when it comes to verifying their identities across multiple platforms and services.
With problems behind it, Home BancShares preps for a deal
The Arkansas-based company spent nearly four years on the M&A sidelines, grappling with asset quality issues and litigation tied to its 2022 acquisition of Texas-based Happy State Bank. Now it’s signed a letter of intent to buy an unnamed bank.
Popular Bank exits mortgage lending
The company cited efforts to improve profitability behind its decision, with Popular joining a line of other banks in ending mortgage operations in 2025.
Execs receive Most Powerful Women in Banking awards at gala
The 23rd annual dinner honored bankers and finance leaders at the top of the industry.
Zelle’s stablecoin play spurs more questions than answers
Zelle’s parent Early Warning Services said Friday it was planning to take its peer-to-peer payments network international through a new stablecoin initiative. It says the details will come later.
Wisconsin bank makes deal to speed past $10B asset mark
Nicolet Bankshares has agreed to buy MidWestOne Financial in an $864 million, all-stock deal. The acquisition will move the Wisconsin-based buyer into Iowa and the Twin Cities, while also allowing it to vault past a key regulatory threshold.
U.S. cybersecurity progress is ‘slipping,’ report warns
A think tank report details setbacks in U.S. cyber strategy, from shuttered partnerships and staff cuts to the expiration of key info-sharing laws.
Needham and BankProv receive approvals and merge date
Needham and Provident banks received all regulatory approvals and merge date; JPMorganChase hired veteran tech dealmaker Kevin Brunner from Bank of America; RBC Capital Markets will expand its presence in the equity derivatives market with two senior hires from UBS; and more in this week’s banking news roundup.