Building on the momentum of 2018, it’s been a busy year for Louisiana-based banking institutions, with multiple banks expanding or being tapped to merge with larger out-of-state institutions.
Investar Bank made several moves this year. The bank not only expanded into Lake Charles, but it also expanded its reach in Texas and Alabama. Investar also received regulatory approval to move from being a state bank to a national bank, effective July 1.
Last week, Investar Holding Corporation, the holding company for Investar Bank, announced it was acquiring Cheaha Financial Group Inc., headquartered in Oxford, Alabama, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Cheaha Bank.
In April, Lafayette-based MidSouth Bank merged into Hancock Whitney Bank in a stock-for-stock transaction. And earlier this month, two shuttered Hancock Whitney-owned banks were scooped up by BancorpSouth Bank and South Louisiana Bank in separate sales.
Last month, Lafayette-based IberiaBank was bought by First Horizon National Corporation, of Memphis, Tenn., in a deal that’s set to be the second-largest bank merger of the year.
Following IberiaBank’s merger with First Horizon, Origin Bank will become the largest bank headquartered in Louisiana. Headquartered in the village of Choudrant, the bank holds $5.5 billion in assets.
Earlier this month, Business First Bank rebranded itself as b1BANK to reflect the bank’s diversified growth.
