Merger Talks Between Berkshire Hills Bancorp and Brookline Bancorp

(Reuters) – Boston-based regional banks Berkshire Hills Bancorp (NYSE:BHLB) and Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) are in merger talks, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The proposed deal aims to merge two banks, both of which have approximately $12 billion in assets. An announcement could be made as soon as next week, according to the WSJ.

As of Friday, Brookline Bancorp had a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, while Berkshire Hills Bancorp's market cap stood at $1.3 billion, as reported by LSEG data.

Both Berkshire Hills and Brookline did not provide immediate comments regarding the merger.