Podcast: The 2026 outlook for bank M&A

Banks can leverage marketing to transform succession risk into a targeted opportunity for retention, acquisition and growth.

UMB Financial to buy El Dorado Savings Bank in California. Renasant to buy Commercial Holding in Tennessee.

Marketers are shifting resources where perceived performance is greatest, but areas of misalignment persist.

Members attending ABA Annual Convention in Salt Lake City elected new officers and directors to serve on ABA’s board for the 2026-2027 association year.

In her first address as chair of ABA, Cathy Owen, chair and CEO of State Holding Company and executive chair of Eagle Bank & Trust Company in Little Rock, Arkansas, outlined her priorities for the year ahead.

In his final speech as ABA Chairman, Kenneth Kelly, chairman and CEO of First Independence Bank in Detroit, Michigan, highlighted the role ABA has played as a unifying advocate, an innovative catalyst and a trusted partner to the...