In Brief: BankBoston: No Deal for Investment Bank

BankBoston Corp.'s top executive said this week that the company is unlikely to buy an investment bank.

"There is no question a company like ours needs some kind of equity capability, but with prices so high we're going to build rather than buy," chief executive officer Charles K. Gifford said at an investor conference sponsored by Montgomery Securities.

Mr. Gifford said his company wants to build its consumer banking franchise in New England and its corporate business in Latin America.

Noting BankBoston's ambitions for its asset management business, he said, "We think we can be the Fidelity of Brazil."

Mr. Gifford said he is comfortable with analysts' earnings consensus of $5.68 cents a share this year.

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