Bank Mergers Heading for Seven-Year High, Pushed by Costly Rules

  • U.S. bank deals are on pace for the strongest year since 2009
  • Low interest rates, slow growth also seen driving combinations
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Here’s an irony: U.S. regulators looking to avoid bailouts of too-big-to-fail banks have passed so many rules that regional and local lenders are combining to stomach the costs.

The result: Banks are bulking up.