All articles by Refna Tharayil
Refna Tharayil
ACNB announces completion of Traditions Bancorp acquisition
Traditions was merged with and into a wholly-owned subsidiary of ACNB Corporation immediately followed by the merger of Traditions Bank with and into ACNB Bank
UMB Financial wraps up $2bn acquisition of Heartland Financial USA
The deal increases UMB Financial’s private wealth management assets under management and administration by 32% and significantly enhances its retail deposit base
Upbound group closes acquisition of Brigit
The combined company has significantly greater scale, currently serving approximately four million active customers, including Brigit’s over one million active paying subscribers and almost one million free subscribers
Deutsche Bank reports net profit of €337m for Q4 2024, down 76% YoY
The decline was primarily driven by non-tax-deductible litigation items during the quarter and the absence of a €1bn DTA valuation adjustment that had boosted the prior year’s results
AstroPay continues global expansion with payment institution license for multicurrency wallet in Brazil
AstroPay is poised to bring faster, simpler, and more innovative financial services for Brazil’s local and international users and businesses, solidifying AstroPay’s position as the go-to platform for seamless, secure cross-border financial management
Lloyds to close 136 branches in UK as digital banking demand grows
The closures, scheduled between May 2025 and May 2026, mark the third major restructuring move by the banking group this year
PayPal Ventures invests in Formance
Formance serves global customers, including large-scale vertical SaaS platforms, fintechs, and financial institutions – such as Liberis, Booksy, and Btech – which require high levels of scalability, security, and customizability
Irish government reduces stake in AIB to 12.5% in €652m share sale
The government divested 116 million ordinary shares, representing 5% of AIB’s issued capital, through a placement to institutional investors
HomeTrust announces sale of Knoxville branches to Apex Bank
Under the terms of the agreement, Apex will acquire the physical locations, related fixed assets, and substantially all the customer deposit accounts which are currently estimated at $42 million
Stitch acquires ExiPay to expand unified payments offering
Through the integration of ExiPay, Stitch expects to provide a comprehensive solution for multi-lane retail and omnichannel commerce businesses