MICHAEL R. BRENAN, a former Banc One executive, turned an ailing rural Virginia banking company into MainStreet BankGroup, an ambitious acquirer that is also appearing as a target on M&A radar screens. Page 7
WASHINGTON
"Spoofers" and "sniffers" are silly names for some of what the FDIC says are serious threats that banks run when providing Internet transactions. The agency suggested safeguards to fend off computer crooks. Page 2
Times have changed since John E. Ryan last worked in Washington. As chief executive of the Resolution Trust Corp. he sold a seemingly endless string of failed thrifts. Now he'll supervise a healthy industry at the OTS. Page 2
REGIONAL BANKING
State Street reshuffled some of its top executives, partly to emphasize asset management, financial markets, and mutual fund servicing. Page 5
An analyst is angry that National City has canceled a share buyback plan announced last month because it won the bidding for First of America. Page 5
MORTGAGES
American Banker asked industry leaders last week to predict the most positive surprise of 1998 for the mortgage sector - and the most negative. Page 10
CORPORATE FINANCE
Amid the quiet of the holiday season, Natwest Securities priced two of the junk bond market's four issues last week. The money will go to a company building a new Las Vegas resort and to an Indiana owner of small- market radio stations and newspapers. Page 11
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
Mellon's recent deal to buy Founders Asset Management demonstrates how tricky it can be to negotiate compensation packages with the principals of a money management firm. Page 12
MARKET MONITOR
The departure of a high-profile colleague and renewed interest in regional banks have thrust a bullish 28-year-old analyst into the spotlight at Bear Stearns. Page 25 Page 25
WEEKLY REPORT: SMALL BUSINESS
BankAmerica sales representatives beat are beating the bushes for customers. They work in a unit formed two years ago to lure small California businesses away from other banks. Page 8
