Financial Services Buyout Acquisitions in 2026

Bitwise Asset Management has acquired Chorus One, an institutional staking provider with over $2.2 billion in staked assets, to expand the capabilities of its Bitwise Onchain Solutions staking division. The deal brings roughly 50 technology professionals and support for 30+ proof-of-stake networks into Bitwise, with Chorus One CEO Brian Crain moving into an advisory role.

Harvest Commercial Capital (HCC) announced a merger with Crossroads Impact Corp (CRSS) to combine HCC’s owner-occupied small business commercial lending platform with Crossroads’ residential CDFI capabilities. The combined organization will continue operating under their respective brands and aims to expand access to capital in low- and moderate-income communities while enhancing CRA and SBA-focused lending solutions.

The Vistria Group has acquired Lumen Holdings, a Dallas-based, technology-enabled managing general agent (MGA), and established it as a new platform within Vistria's Financial Services strategy. The investment will support expansion of Lumen’s KURRENT digital underwriting platform, underwriting capabilities across commercial and personal lines, and broader program launches nationwide.

Nicolet Bankshares, Inc. completed its merger with MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc., with MidWestOne merged into Nicolet and operating as a division of Nicolet National Bank until a planned system conversion in August 2026. The deal adds roughly $6 billion in assets, bringing Nicolet's pro forma assets to approximately $15 billion and expands Nicolet’s branch footprint across Iowa, the Twin Cities, Western Wisconsin, and Denver.

MAI Capital Management acquired LOC Investment Advisers, a fee-only RIA with offices in Hurricane, West Virginia and Jupiter, Florida, adding approximately $759 million in AUM and more than 800 client households. The deal closed effective February 13, 2026; LOC founders Robert O'Dell and David Lanham will remain involved to support continuity and succession, and LOC Managing Director Sean Mayberry will become Senior Wealth Advisor & Team Leader.

Simplicity Group, a holistic financial planning firm headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, has acquired LeSourd Partners, a Birmingham, Alabama-based brokerage general agency. The deal expands Simplicity’s national footprint and strengthens its life insurance and advisor support capabilities while bringing Jake LeSourd, Diane Covin, and Kim Roberts into Simplicity as partners.

Simplicity Group has acquired Wholehan Marketing, a brokerage general agency with offices in Tampa, Florida and Toledo, Ohio, and welcomed Wholehan leaders Chris Wholehan and Jessica Hernandez as partners. The deal expands Simplicity's distribution and product capabilities by giving Wholehan's advisors access to Simplicity's platform, marketing engine, and broader suite of life, annuity, DI and LTC products.

Beast Industries, the creator-led entertainment and consumer products platform founded by Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, has acquired fintech app Step to add youth-focused financial services and financial literacy tools to its ecosystem. The deal brings Step's technology, full-stack fintech team and more than 7 million users into Beast's distribution and content-driven platform to accelerate product development and expand access to financial wellness offerings.

ISS Market Intelligence (ISS MI), part of ISS STOXX GmbH, has acquired Family Office Access, a U.S.-based provider of family office intelligence and investor data. The acquisition integrates Family Office Access's database into ISS MI's MarketPro platform to expand coverage of family office profiles and strengthen go-to-market intelligence for clients across the wealth and financial services ecosystem.

Beacon Pointe Advisors acquired three registered investment advisor teams—Financial Planning Solutions (Newton, MA), Voyager Wealth Management (Lake Geneva, WI), and InvestmentHunter Wealth Services (Argyle/Fort Worth, TX)—bringing the firm's assets under advisement to approximately $62 billion. The transactions closed in November and December 2025 and add ~$350M, ~$229M, and ~$153M in client assets respectively while expanding Beacon Pointe's national footprint and advisory capabilities.

Carson Group has fully acquired its Carson Wealth location in Milton, Georgia, bringing the Milton, Atlanta and Dunwoody offices under a wholly owned structure. The move is intended to deepen Carson Group’s regional footprint in Georgia, expand client access to tax planning and private client services, and support advisor succession and future acquisitions across the Southeast.

Japan's Meiji Yasuda Group has completed the acquisition of the Banner Life family of companies (Banner Life Insurance Company and William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York) from Legal & General, in a transaction valued at approximately $2.3 billion (with $2.6 billion transferred at closing reflecting purchase price adjustments). The deal strengthens Meiji Yasuda's U.S. presence by adding a leading term life franchise and a pension risk transfer (PRT) business, and establishes a long-term strategic PRT partnership with Legal & General.

CAPTRUST Financial Advisors has onboarded Meritage Portfolio Management, a Kansas City–based wealth and investment management firm with $2.4 billion in client assets. The Meritage team of 17 colleagues (including nine advisors) joined CAPTRUST in a deal that closed in December 2025 and will operate under the CAPTRUST brand; Houlihan Lokey served as Meritage's financial advisor.

Xactus has acquired Baleen Solutions, a provider of automated self‑employed income analysis, to integrate Baleen’s technology into its Xactus360 Intelligent Verification Platform. The acquisition will power a new Income CalculationX offering to automate tax‑document income analysis, improve consistency and auditability, and reduce manual review for lenders and financial institutions.

Finseca announced it has merged with the International Association of Qualified Financial Planners (IAQFP), assuming responsibility for IAQFP and its online QFP Verification Registry. The unification is intended to preserve the QFP designation, expand the number of Qualified Financial Planners, and advance Finseca’s mission to unify and strengthen the financial planning profession.

Castles Technology, a global leader in Android-based payment acceptance solutions, acquired MT Bilgi Teknolojileri A.Ş. (MTBT) to accelerate its services-led strategy and strengthen local execution in Türkiye. The deal brings MTBT's engineering, certified fiscal devices and TSM/service capabilities into Castles while preserving existing contracts, teams, and customer relationships.

Huntington Bancshares has completed its merger with Cadence Bank, combining the two regional banking franchises to create a roughly $279 billion-asset company and expanding Huntington’s branch footprint across Texas and the broader South. The deal adds Cadence’s ~390 branches and strengthens Huntington’s market position in Texas and Mississippi while preserving Cadence’s branch network and customer continuity during integration.

Ares Management Corporation has completed the acquisition of all outstanding shares of BlueCove Limited, a London-based systematic fixed-income manager. The integrated business will operate as Ares Systematic Credit within the Ares Credit Group to expand Ares' capabilities in data-driven, systematic fixed-income investing.

Fifth Third Bancorp has closed its merger with Comerica Incorporated, creating the ninth-largest U.S. bank with approximately $294 billion in assets. The combination expands Fifth Third’s geographic footprint and scale—pairing its retail banking and digital capabilities with Comerica’s middle-market banking franchise and wealth capabilities as part of a broader strategy to build density in high-growth U.S. markets.

Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. completed the merger with Southwest Bancshares, Inc., with Southwest’s wholly owned subsidiary Texas Partners Bank merged into Prosperity Bank, effective February 1, 2026. Under the terms of the agreement, Prosperity issued 4,095,397 shares of common stock to former Southwest shareholders and certain Southwest executives will join Prosperity’s management and board; Texas Partners’ 11 branch locations will continue to operate under the Texas Partners Bank name until integration scheduled for November 2026.

Heritage Financial Corporation completed its acquisition of Olympic Bancorp, Inc., effective January 31, 2026, merging Olympic into Heritage and Kitsap Bank into Heritage Bank. Under the merger, Heritage issued an aggregate 7,167,600 shares of common stock and Olympic shareholders will receive 45.0 shares of Heritage common stock per Olympic share (with cash for fractional shares); acquired Kitsap Bank branches will continue operating under the Kitsap Bank name.

WTW has completed its acquisition of Newfront, a San Francisco-based, technology-enabled insurance broker. The deal brings Newfront's ~650+ employees and specialty broking capabilities into WTW's global platform to strengthen its U.S. middle-market presence and advance its technology and specialty strategies.

Cetera Financial Group has completed the acquisition of Plains Wealth Management, a Houston-based independent wealth management practice that oversees approximately $400 million in client assets. The Plains team will join The Retirement Planning Group (TRPG), Cetera's employee-based RIA, expanding TRPG's footprint into the Houston market and providing the Plains team with growth and succession options.

Bluespring Wealth Partners has partnered with Pittsburgh-based Coghill Investment Strategies, bringing the advisory firm and its approximately $600 million in AUM into Bluespring's network of partner firms. The move supports succession planning and platform expansion by integrating Coghill's experienced advisory team into Bluespring's community and operational resources.

JPMorgan Chase has acquired UK-based pensions technology platform WealthOS, a deal confirmed by investor nVentures. The acquisition brings WealthOS's UK and Sri Lanka-based employees into JPMorgan as the bank expands its capabilities in pensions, retirement planning and wealth management technology.

Prime Capital Financial has acquired Bradshaw Rogers Financial Partners, a Salisbury, North Carolina-based wealth management firm with roughly $600 million in assets under management. The seven-person Bradshaw Rogers team — including founders Trent Bradshaw and Brandon Rogers — will join Prime Capital as partners, strengthening Prime Capital's planning-first and tax-integrated offering and expanding its footprint in the Carolinas.

Merit Financial Advisors has acquired TL Financial Group, a Southgate, Michigan-based wealth management firm, adding approximately $217 million of client assets and establishing Merit's first office in Michigan (Detroit metro). The transaction closed on January 23, 2026; TL founder Tony LaJeunesse will join Merit as wealth manager, area director, and partner. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Peachtree Group has completed the acquisition of First Western SBLC, LLC, which operates as PMC Commercial Trust, a Dallas-based nationwide direct lender specializing in SBA 7(a) loans. The transaction, approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration, brings SBA lending capabilities into Peachtree's credit platform while PMC will continue operating under its existing name and leadership.

Cetera Financial Group has acquired the wealth management business of Darnall Sikes Wealth Partners, adding approximately $1.9 billion in client assets to its RIA model. The Darnall Sikes team — based in Louisiana with four locations and clients across more than 40 states — will join Avantax Planning Partners within Cetera's RIA channel, providing succession solutions for the firm's advisors and expanding Cetera's advisor network and AUM.

Assured Guaranty Ltd. acquired Bermuda-based life and annuity reinsurer Warwick Re Limited for approximately $158 million, closing on January 21, 2026, and renamed it Assured Life Reinsurance Ltd. The acquisition gives Assured Guaranty an immediate platform to reinsure fixed-term annuities, multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGA) and U.K. bulk purchase annuities (pension risk transfers), and to expand its capabilities in the annuity reinsurance market.

UST has acquired Tailwind Business Ventures, a Texas-based fintech firm with operations in Brazil and other delivery centers, to strengthen UST's digital banking solutions and core banking implementation capabilities. The deal expands UST's presence in South America and enhances its ability to serve mid-market and regional banks with AI-driven modernization and implementation services.

Piper Sandler Companies has completed its acquisition of MENA Growth Partners, a merchant bank headquartered in Abu Dhabi, positioning the firm as Piper Sandler's investment banking hub in the GCC. The deal strengthens Piper Sandler's local presence and builds its capabilities in equity capital markets, private capital advisory and regional coverage across energy, infrastructure, healthcare and technology.

Credent Wealth Management (CX Institutional, LLC) acquired Michigan-based MainStreet Financial Advisors and Tulsa-based First State Investment Advisors, adding a combined ~$250 million in AUM and roughly 350 clients. The deals bring four advisors and two staff to Credent, expand its national footprint (AUM now >$4.3 billion across 14 offices), and follow Credent's expanded capital partnership with Crestline Investors to support continued advisor onboarding and platform growth.

Angeles Wealth Management, a Santa Monica-based wealth manager (~$2.6–$2.7B AUM), has acquired XO Capital to seed and launch a new affiliate, Angeles Family Office (AFO). XO Capital founders Adam Stern and Jason Oclaray will lead the new family office (Stern as CEO, Oclaray as President); financial terms were not disclosed.

Atomic Invest has acquired Groene Hart Financial Diensten, a Netherlands-based MiFID investment firm, providing Atomic with a regulated foothold to scale its white-labeled investing, brokerage, and cash-management platform across Europe. The deal, approved by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), will fully integrate Groene Hart into Atomic’s European operations to enable faster, locally compliant launches for fintech and banking partners.

Lower, a VC-backed digital mortgage lender, has acquired Acopia Home Loans to expand its retail origination footprint across the Southeastern United States. The deal brings 14 branch locations, 36 loan originators and more than $425 million in annual production into Lower's platform and will operate as Team Acopia within Lower's Southeast division.

Lisbon-based impact investment platform Goparity has acquired Bolsa Social, Spain's first CNMV-authorized impact crowdfunding platform, adding equity crowdfunding capabilities to its lending-focused offering. Financial terms were not disclosed; the acquisition expands Goparity's Iberian footprint and brings the combined investor community to more than 72,000 members.

Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., through its U.S. capital markets business, has acquired Carbon Reduction Capital, LLC (CRC-IB), a specialist advisory firm in renewable energy M&A, project finance and capital raising. The CRC-IB partners will lead Canaccord's newly formed Energy Transformation group to expand the firm's advisory capabilities across renewable energy, storage, carbon capture and related energy transition markets; financial terms were not disclosed.

National Bank Holdings Corporation (NBHC) has completed its acquisition of Vista Bancshares, Inc. and its banking subsidiary Vista Bank, expanding NBHC's footprint into key growth markets including Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, Lubbock and Palm Beach. The combined organization is positioned with approximately $12.6 billion in pro forma assets following the transaction.

Chicago-based Rothschild Wealth Partners has acquired Windgate Wealth Management, an independent advisory firm managing over $200 million in client assets. The deal expands Rothschild's advisory footprint in the Chicago market and brings Windgate leaders onto Rothschild's platform to broaden services for high-net-worth individuals, families and business owners.

The Baldwin Group (NASDAQ: BWIN) has completed its acquisition of Capstone Group, a Philadelphia‑area multi-line independent insurance brokerage. The deal expands Baldwin's regional footprint in the Philadelphia market and gives Capstone access to Baldwin's broader resources and scalable infrastructure while preserving Capstone's high‑touch service model.

First Community Corporation (Nasdaq: FCCO) closed its acquisition of Signature Bank of Georgia effective January 8, 2026, merging Signature Bank into First Community Bank. The deal, valued at approximately $50.0 million as of December 31, 2025, expands First Community’s branch network and market presence in the Midlands, Upstate and Piedmont regions of South Carolina and the Atlanta and Central Savannah River areas of Georgia while adding SBA/USDA lending capabilities.

Wealthspire’s Ground Control Business Management has acquired Los Angeles-based Ceres Financial Management, LLC. The acquisition will fold Ceres into Ground Control’s operations and expand the firm’s business-management and wealth services footprint in Southern California for high-net-worth clients, with Ceres founder Craig Shenkler joining as a managing director.

The Tie, an institutional digital-asset solutions provider, has acquired staking provider Stakin (which manages roughly $1.5 billion in assets under delegation) to launch a new Infrastructure Solutions division. The acquisition brings Stakin’s non-custodial, enterprise-grade staking infrastructure into The Tie’s institutional platform to offer a unified gateway and expanded capabilities for hedge funds, asset managers, banks and other institutional clients.

Broadridge Financial Solutions has completed its acquisition of Acolin, a Zurich-based provider of cross-border fund distribution and regulatory services. The deal expands Broadridge's European distribution footprint and adds Acolin's fund passporting and compliance infrastructure to Broadridge's data-driven platforms for asset managers.

The PNC Financial Services Group has completed its acquisition of FirstBank Holding Company and its banking subsidiary, FirstBank, following receipt of regulatory approvals. The deal expands PNC’s presence in Colorado and Arizona; FirstBank customers will continue using existing channels until customer conversions planned for this summer.

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (the holding company for b1BANK) completed its acquisition of Progressive Bancorp, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary Progressive Bank. The deal expands b1BANK's presence across North Louisiana, adding nine locations and increasing Business First's total assets to approximately $8.7 billion.

Anchor Health Properties has acquired a majority interest in Chestnut Funds, which will operate as Anchor Health Capital, a fund advisory and investment management subsidiary. The combination creates a vertically integrated platform to expand Anchor’s healthcare real estate investment capabilities and capital flexibility; Chestnut co‑founder Steen Watson will continue to lead the new subsidiary as President.

Southern Bancorp, Inc. has closed its acquisition of Ozarks Heritage Financial Group, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary Legacy Bank & Trust, a $1.9 billion asset CDFI headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. The deal creates a nearly $5 billion asset community development financial institution and expands Southern Bancorp’s branch footprint across Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Pinnacle Financial Partners completed its merger with Synovus Financial Corp., creating a combined regional bank holding company with approximately $117.2 billion in pro forma assets. The merged organization will operate more than 400 locations across nine states, serve clients under both the Pinnacle and Synovus brands during integration, and will trade on the NYSE under the ticker PNFP.