August 12, 2026

Bank expands in New Mexico, Colorado

SAN FRANCISCO -- Wells Fargo & Co., the second-largest bank in Nevada and California, said it's expanding in the West with a plan to buy First Place Financial Corp. of Farmington, N.M., for $174.5 million in stock.

Wells will pay 4.6 million of its shares for all of First Place, New Mexico's largest independent financial institution with $923 million in assets.

The deal brings Wells 17 branches in New Mexico and Colorado.

Just last week Wells expanded in Texas with a $246 million deal to buy Prime Bank.

The new Wells Fargo was created with the merger of Wells and Norwest banks.

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