1.   Analysts said Southern National may have raised the ante for future bank acquisitions.

2.   Approval was crucial since the two New York banks needed approval by the Fed, one of their primary regulators, to complete the largest bank acquisition ever.

3.   Bank acquisitions often involve an efficient company buying an inefficient one, with an eye toward wringing out unnecessary costs.

4.   Banc One Corp. says it basically took a pass on the recent wave of bank acquisitions because prices got out of line.

5.   After taking a year off from bank acquisitions following the merger, the company in August expanded its banking presence in Virginia by acquiring Fidelity Financial Bankshares of Richmond.

6.   Brown Inc., and six more bank acquisitions of brokerage firms have followed.

7.   In its first bank acquisition outside Rhode Island, Fleet agreed to acquire First Connecticut Bancorp of Hartford.

8.   Inner City Press has raised CRA performance to oppose the approval of major bank acquisitions, including the marriages of Chase Manhattan Corp. and Chemical Banking Corp.

9.   Investors also remain focused on which bank will buy which in this record year for bank acquisitions.

10.   Its only recent bank acquisition was announced last month, a purchase for stock of Liberty Bancorp of Oklahoma City.