Consolidation may likely be a growing trend among smaller banks as regulatory pressures flow down to these institutions. “Compliance costs may further depress earnings at smaller community banks and encourage them to seek merger partners to gain scale,” says Tom Kaylor, principal, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP.
As a result, the M&A market is likely to gather pace in 2014, as midsized banks seek asset growth and small banks look for scale. However, a longer regulatory approval process may be an impediment to volume growth. Actively engaging regulators at the onset of M&A plans will likely make for a much smoother process. Further, banks should ensure M&A plans fully align with their strategies, fit within their risk and governance structure, and are rich with efficiencies, especially in today’s cost-conscious environment.
Regulatory pressures may force the sale of capital-intensive businesses that aren’t generating sufficient returns.