Today's News

WASHINGTON The Clinton administration is taking a serious look at Texas Banking Commissioner Catherine A. Ghiglieri for the chairmanship of the FDIC. Page 3 REGIONAL BANKING Fifth Third Bancorp is on the hunt for fee businesses, particularly investment management and data processing companies. Page 4 A lawsuit filed last week against Sumitomo Bank's California subsidiary could be just the start of a legal morass. Page 4 CORPORATE FINANCE About 18 months after its launching, a group at Bankers Trust created to raise funds for leveraged buyouts is still going strong. Page 13 CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs Stepping up its efforts in the platinum end of the credit card market, First USA unveiled two glitzy new affinity products. Page 14 COMMUNITY BANKING Barbara Blum, president of Washington's Abigail Adams National Bancorp, says it plans to buy $79 million-asset Ballston Bancorp in Virginia. "Northern Virginia is the fastest-growth area in our region, and that happened to be the largest bank we could digest," she says. Page 7 After years of success in rural Oklahoma, a community bank company is taking on the state's big cities--and big banks. Page 7 MORTGAGES The MBA's top official says he decided to leave his job because it is a "pressure-cooker" post. Page 10 Mortgage securities traders and analysts want lenders to consider overhauling a key index that's used to set rates on adjustable mortgages. Page 11 INVESTMENT PRODUCTS variable annuities sold through banks are poised to overtake fixed annuities in popularity. Page 12 TECHNOLOGY Computer Sciences and EDS are in a heated contest to capture an outsourcing contract with Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Page 16 Online Resources and Communications raised $20 million in a private placement. Page 18 MARKET MONITOR Stocks of several mortgage companies are trading at or near 52-week highs, but analysts say further gains are in store thanks to favorable interest rates. Page 25 WEEKLY REPORT: SMALL BUSINESS A Pennsylvania community bank launched an equipment leasing program to keep its small-business customers from finding the service elsewhere. Page 9

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