Huntington to buy FirstMerit for $3.4 billion

Huntington Bancshares announced Monday night that it is buying Akron-based FirstMerit in a $3.4 billion deal that is one of Huntington’s biggest acquisitions in its 150-year history. The deal would make Huntington the largest bank in Ohio in terms of deposits, while also giving the bank a new toehold in Chicago and in Wisconsin.