Hancock Whitney Corporation, the Nasdaq-listed regional lender, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire OFB Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of One Florida Bank. The deal was announced on 15 May 2026.
The transaction extends Hancock Whitney's franchise deeper into Florida through the addition of a community-focused institution serving the state. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed on the page cited by the buyer.
FLORIDA EXPANSION FOR GULF-COAST LENDER
Hancock Whitney, listed under the ticker HWC, is a regional banking group with a long-standing franchise across the US Gulf Coast. Adding One Florida Bank to its footprint gives the company a purpose-built Florida platform rather than a limited branch extension, in a market that has been a consistent focus of consolidation activity among mid-sized US banks.
OFB Bancshares operates as the bank holding company for One Florida Bank, an in-state institution that has built a customer base among businesses and individuals in the Florida market. Incorporating the platform into Hancock Whitney's broader network positions the buyer to combine local market presence with the treasury, credit and technology capabilities of a larger regional group.
The strategic logic mirrors the pattern of a series of US regional bank transactions in which acquirers have used bolt-on deals to establish or deepen presence in growth markets. Florida has been a particular focus of that activity given its demographic and economic profile.
APPROVALS SECURED AHEAD OF AUGUST CLOSE
The parties expect the merger to close on or about 1 August 2026, according to the agreement announced by Hancock Whitney. Reaching that timetable will depend on completion of remaining customary closing conditions.
OFB Bancshares shareholders have approved the merger agreement, clearing an important step in the closing process. Shareholder approval is typically among the earlier hurdles to clear on the target side of a bank M&A transaction and reduces execution risk as the parties move toward the scheduled completion date.
As of 20 July 2026, Hancock Whitney had received the required regulatory approvals for the acquisition from the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance. Regulatory clearance is often the longest-lead item in bank mergers and its completion narrows the remaining path to closing to procedural steps.
For Hancock Whitney, the addition of One Florida Bank represents a bolt-on transaction rather than a transformational deal. Regional banks of similar size have used comparable acquisitions to add customer relationships and deposit franchises in high-growth markets without materially altering their overall risk profile.
Full details of the transaction were set out by Hancock Whitney in its investor communications and on the BusinessWire newswire, alongside its subsequent disclosure that regulatory approvals had been received. With the buyer's approvals in place from the Federal Reserve, the FDIC and the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 20 July 2026, and with OFB Bancshares shareholders having endorsed the deal, the transaction is set to close on or about 1 August 2026 subject to remaining customary conditions.
For the wider US regional banking sector, the transaction adds to a steady stream of bolt-on activity aimed at consolidating community bank platforms into larger, more diversified groups. The strategic and regulatory template of a bilateral acquisition supported by state and federal approvals is well-established, and Hancock Whitney's deal for One Florida Bank follows that pattern.