A financial feeding frenzy: more than a dozen, mostly small Tar Heel banks cashed in their chips over the past three years.

• Position: TAKING INVENTORY

After a slow 2012, mergers and acquisitions involving the state's banks have heated up, according to SNL Financial LC of Charlottesville, Va. Banks mostly fed on in-state deals in 2013 but have focused more this year on buying peers in nearby states. Nationally there were 5,876 commercial banks at the end of last year, about half as many as 20 years ago. Increased regulatory costs and slim interest margins are squeezing profits and spurring sales.

North Carolina banking M&A 2012 Announced Buyer Target Deal value (million) March Capital Bank Coral Southern Community $74.3 Gables, Fla. Winston-Salem May Park Sterling Citizens South 77.8 Charlotte Banking Gastonia June BNC Bancorp High First Trust Bank 35.0 Point Charlotte September CapStone Bank Patriot State Bank 10.6 Raleigh Fuquay-Varina September Crescent Financial ECB Bancorp 51.6 Raleigh Engelhard 2013 January Bank of the Ozarks First National Bank 64.0 Little Rock, Ark. of Shelby February Southern BancShares Heritage Bancshares 16.9 Mount Olive Lucama May HomeTrust Bancshares BankGreenville 8.7 Asheville Financial Greenville, S.C. May BNC Bancorp High Randolph Bank & 10.4 Point Trust Asheboro August Carolina Alliance Forest Commerical na Spartanburg, S.C. Bank...