Fairstone to Buy Laurentian Bank in C$1.9 Billion Break-Up Deal as National Bank Takes Retail Business
Montreal – December 2, 2025 Laurentian Bank of Canada is set to disappear as a stand‑alone full-service bank after striking a complex break‑up deal that will see Fairstone Bank of Canada acquire the institution for about C$1.9 billion in cash, while National Bank of Canada scoops up its retail and small‑business operations. Bloomberg+2MarketScreener+2 The move, announced on December 2, 2025, dramatically accelerates Laurentian’s shift into a specialized commercial lender and caps years of strategic uncertainty at Canada’s ninth‑largest bank. Newswire+2bankingdive.com+2 Deal Overview: Fairstone Buys Laurentian, National Bank Takes the Branch Customers Under the agreements announced Tuesday: The retail and SME portfolios being sold