Trustmark (TRMK) Inks Merger Deal With RB Bancorporation

Trustmark Corporation (NASDAQ:TRMK) , the holding company of Trustmark National Bank, announced that it has entered into a merger agreement with RB Bancorporation. The deal is expected to be complete in the first half of 2017.

Terms of the Deal

Per the agreement, RB Bancorporation, the holding company of Reliance Bank, will merge with Trustmark. Simultaneously, Reliance Bank will be combined with Trustmark National Bank.

The boards of directors of both the companies have approved the deal, which calls for the payment of $22 per share in cash to shareholders of RB Bancorporation. The transaction has an aggregate value of $25.6 million and is subject to the approval of the shareholders of RB Bancorporation and regulatory authorities.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of Trustmark, Gerard R. Host said, “We are excited to further expand our Alabama franchise in Athens and the surrounding Huntsville area, which is among the most attractive metropolitan areas in the Southeast. Reliance Bank’s management team possesses in-depth knowledge of the Huntsville market and is committed to customer satisfaction. In addition to their solid customer base and attractive Huntsville market, the transaction is a natural expansion of our Alabama franchise.”

In response, President and CEO of RB Bancorporation, Robert F. Harwell, Jr. said, “We are pleased to partner with an organization that has a long and distinguished history of leadership in community banking and shares our customer focus. We look forward to joining Trustmark and providing our customers additional financial solutions to meet their specific needs.”

Regarding the merger, Trustmark was given legal advice by Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes.

Currently, Trustmark has offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas, whereas RB Bancorporation has its office in Huntsville, AL.

Currently, Trustmark carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the same space include Carolina Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CARO) , Farmers Capital Bank Corp. (NASDAQ:FFKT) and Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) .

Carolina Financial witnessed an upward earnings estimate revision of 12.9% for the current year over the past 30 days. Moreover, its share price has gained 40.9% year to date. The company sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Farmers Capital also carries a Zacks Rank #1. It witnessed an upward earnings estimate revision of nearly 8.3% for the current year over the past 30 days. The company’s share price has risen 22.1% year to date.

Ameris Bancorp, with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), witnessed an upward earnings estimate revision of 1.3% for the current year over the past 30 days. The company’s share price has improved 25.2% year to date.

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TRUSTMARK CP (TRMK): Free Stock Analysis Report

AMERIS BANCORP (ABCB): Free Stock Analysis Report

FARMERS CAP KY (FFKT): Free Stock Analysis Report

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