Predictions that a rush of big US bank mergers is just around the corner are perennially popular, but the facts rarely co-operate. While small community banks continue to link up, deals worth more than a few billion dollars are hard to get done.
That said, the pieces do seem to be in place to make 2020 a busy year for deals, as falling profits and the presidential election sharpen minds at the 4,700 or so banks across the country.
The stage has been set this year by a series of tie-ups, which began with a really big one. Two southern banks, BB&T and SunTrust, hooked up in February to create a bank called Truist, with $460bn in assets.