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Huntington Completes Cadence Bank Merger → $294B Assets, 2026 NII Guided +10-13%

Huntington Bancshares completed its acquisition of Cadence Bank, growing to $294 billion in total assets and making it a top-10 U.S. regional bank, with management guiding 2026 net interest income growth of 10-13% as the combined balance sheet benefits from rate normalization. Analysts hold a Buy consensus with an average price target of $20.00, reflecting confidence in the strategic expansion into the Southeast banking market. Risks include integration execution risk from the large Cadence merger, potential commercial real estate credit quality deterioration, and regional bank regulatory scrutiny increasing compliance costs.