ABN AMRO

Royal Bank of Scotland board member Mark Fisher is nominated to replace ABN AMRO's outgoing Chief Executive, Rijkman Groenink, after the 70 billion euro ($99 billion) takeover of the Dutch bank.

Spain's largest bank Santander is close to sealing a deal to sell its property holdings for a total of about 4 billion euros ($5.65 billion), banking sources said on Wednesday, confirming newspaper reports.

Three banks led by Britain's Royal Bank of Scotland clinched victory in the battle for ABN AMRO on Wednesday, declaring their 70 billion euro ($99 billion) offer for the Netherland's biggest bank unconditional.

The investment bank chose to offer its advice to the unexpected winner of the largest banking takeover ever.

A Royal Bank of Scotland-led consortium is set to claim victory in the takeover battle for ABN AMRO on Monday, shifting investor and market attention to the unprecedented integration challenge ahead.

Britain's Barclays is confident of an independent future, its chief executive said on Friday, dismissing speculation that its failure to win control of ABN AMRO could leave it vulnerable to takeover.

Britain's Barclays has conceded defeat in the seven-month battle for Dutch bank ABN AMRO, as rivals led by Royal Bank of Scotland move in to clinch the world's biggest bank takeover.

Belgian-Dutch financial services group Fortis won conditional clearance on Wednesday from the European Commission for its proposed acquisition of parts of Dutch peer ABN AMRO.

A consortium of banks led by Royal Bank of Scotland could lower the level of acceptances needed to buy Dutch bank ABN AMRO to a simple majority, it said on Friday.

Bank of America Corp said it will lay off about 2,500 workers in Illinois and 1,500 in Michigan over the next two years in connection with its $21 billion purchase of LaSalle Bank Corp from Dutch bank ABN AMRO Holding NV.

The asset manager of Belgian-Dutch financial group Fortis said on Tuesday it would buy a Tokyo-based asset managing firm wholly owned by Germany's Commerzbank to expand its operations in Japan.

Royal Bank of Scotland Plc said on Tuesday it will establish a new global banking centre in Amsterdam if its joint bid for Dutch bank ABN AMRO is successful.

General Electric has offered 4 billion euros ($5.6 billion) to buy the property assets which Spanish bank Santander is selling to fund its bid for parts of Dutch bank ABN AMRO, newspapers reported on Friday.

A Royal Bank of Scotland-led consortium will be given Dutch Finance Ministry approval later on Monday for its bid to take over Dutch bank ABN AMRO, a source close to the deal said.

Dutch bank ABN AMRO NV reiterated its 2007 earnings per share target of 2.30 euros ($3.19) on Monday despite current market turmoil and said it has very limited exposure to the subprime market.

A Royal Bank of Scotland-led consortium will most likely buy ABN AMRO as Barclays' rival offer for the Dutch bank has little chance of matching the consortium's bid financially, ABN's chief executive told Dutch TV on Sunday.

Barclays won shareholder support today for its €62 billion (£42 billion) bid to acquire ABN Amro, the Dutch bank, but said that it was not committed to a deal at any price.

Northern Rock Plc's share price plunge after needing a lifeline from the Bank of England has turned the mortgage lender into a stricken target, more likely than ever to fall prey to a takeover bid.

The dollar rebounded against the yen and euro on Thursday as investors resumed buying the U.S. currency after nearly a week of declines, although expectations of a cut in U.S. interest rates capped gains.

The Malaysia unit of Asia-focused lender Standard Chartered Bank Plc hopes to apply for an Islamic banking license in the country within a year, it said on Thursday.

Britain's Barclays said its investment bank arm traded profitably last month and its prospects remain strong, despite the credit market turmoil, but the bank's offer for ABN AMRO could be beaten.