Today's News

NATIONAL/GLOBAL

THE MERGER of Wells Fargo and Norwest enters its final stage as the combined company begins unifying systems and accounts. Page 4

IN ITS FIRST full public quarter, Goldman Sachs reported $638 million in earnings, easily beating analysts' expectations. Page 5

COMMUNITY/REGIONAL

A SAN FRANCISCO niche bank that rejected several offers to sell a year ago may be on the block, according to bank analysts. Page 6

CALIFORNIA's Silicon Valley Bank has established a lending division in Atlanta. Page 6

MORTGAGES

HOME EQUITY: Centex of Dallas has emerged as a force in home equity lending as it takes advantage of the newly opened Texas market. Page 7

COUNTRYWIDE's second-quarter earnings were up 12%. Page 7

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

BARCLAYS Global Investors is lending its index fund expertise to a new Internet-only bank. Page 8

WASHINGTON

THE OCC warned banks that interest income will continue to shrink over the next several quarters. Commercial banks suffered an 18-basis-point decline in the ratio of net interest income to assets in the second quarter of 1999, compared with the same period of 1997. Page 3

TECHNOLOGY

VENDORS to the banking industry are rolling out software applications on IBM's new server, which was launched last week and is aimed at banks. Page 10

CITIBANK has hired two nonbankers to manage key areas of its global cash management and trade finance business unit. Page 10

ON-LINE BANKING

WELLS FARGO and American Express have selected software for electronic bill presentment, underscoring the importance financial institutions are attaching to on-line billing. Page 11

SMART CARDS

GEMPLUS has filled its largest smart card order ever in the United States, for a promotion of the latest Nintendo video game. Page 12

Electronic Commerce

THE ABA's first Future Payments conference seemed mired in an identity crisis. Was it an Internet conference or the old credit card meeting in disguise? Page 14

MARKETS

SOME INVESTORS braved the turbulent market to buy shares in a handful of banks expected to handily meet earnings estimates. Page 21

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