Financial Services Acquisitions in Mississippi

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.

BankFirst Capital Corporation completed its acquisition of The Magnolia State Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary Magnolia State Bank effective July 1, 2025. The deal expands BankFirst’s branch network to 52 offices across Mississippi and Alabama and increases pro forma assets to approximately $3.2 billion, with gross loans of about $2.2 billion and deposits of roughly $2.8 billion; several Magnolia executives have joined BankFirst in regional leadership roles.

Ross & Yerger, a long-established Jackson-based insurance agency, has completed a strategic merger with Element Wealth of Ridgeland to expand its wealth management and financial planning capabilities. The integration brings Element Wealth’s advisory services into Ross & Yerger’s platform to offer clients a more comprehensive suite of insurance, retirement and investment solutions.

CURO Group Holdings Corp. (NYSE: CURO) completed the cash acquisition of First Heritage Credit, a Ridgeland, Mississippi-based near-prime consumer lender, for $140 million. The deal adds funding capacity via a new $225 million non-recourse warehouse facility and supports CURO’s strategic shift toward longer‑term, higher‑balance installment lending.

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (the holding company for b1BANK) signed a definitive agreement to acquire Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC (SSW), a registered investment adviser headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi. The acquisition will consolidate b1BANK's Wealth Solutions Division with SSW, expanding the bank's investment advisory capabilities and product offering to corporate, foundation and individual clients.