1.   Alex Cheeseman, a spokeswoman for HSBC in London, said Marine Midland did not anticipate any layoffs because of the acquisition although there would likely be branch closures.

2.   Price said there would be staff cuts and branch closures.

3.   The main problem with cash machine economics is that ATMs have not produced the expected personnel savings or branch closures.

4.   The overlap resulting from the merger is likely to lead to branch closures and layoffs.

5.   The savings, according the National Australia Bank Chief Economist Alan Oster, come mainly through administration and operations savings rather than through branch closures.

6.   Vladimir Alfa, a Woodland Hills resident, said will keep his multiple accounts after the Tarzana branch closure.

7.   An HKMA spokesman said branch closures would not necessarily mean the banks concerned were facing difficulties.

8.   Masashi Kaneko, president of Nikko Securities, said that he does not expect the tie-up will trigger a drastic job cuts or branch closures in the immediate future.

9.   Most of the banks have since had a moratorium on rural branch closures.

10.   Most of the nine banks also announced stepped-up plans to streamline their operations, including staff cuts, salary reductions, and branch closures at home and abroad.