Bank on It

Bank of the Ozarks' recently proposed acquisition of C1 Bank in St. Petersburg made a big splash in area banking circles.

And if a recent survey of bank executives and directors by Bank Director magazine is any indication, there's more to come. A majority of the survey's respondents see a more favorable climate for bank deals next year.

In the South, 42% of respondents say they plan to purchase a healthy bank and another 11% say they plan to purchase a loan portfolio. In a sign online banking is well established, only 5% of bankers in the South say they plan to purchase one or more branches.