31.   Banking shares were active, as speculation about a merger between Kredietbank NV and Cera Bank fueled financial shares.

32.   Banking shares were strong amid optimism the Bank of Japan will keep interest rates low to help lenders clean up their bad loans.

33.   Banking shares, such as Citicorp, which have earnings tied to interest rates, paced the decline of U.S. stocks today.

34.   A rise in banking shares like Mitsubishi Bank and real estate companies including Mitsubishi Estate was tempered by declining electronics exporters like Sony Corp. and Oki Electric Industry Co.

35.   Advances in telecommunications shares were offset by declines in banking shares.

36.   Bucking declines, banking shares got a boost from a planned government move aimed at preventing corporate failures.

37.   Declines in steel and banking shares offset a rally in computer-chip related stocks.

38.   Even so, banking shares soared on both the news of its closure and a report that the ruling party may move to bail out other banks.

39.   Fears that sluggish economic growth and pending deregulation may drive many lenders out of business will probably continue to drive down banking shares.

40.   For buyers of banking shares, the silver lining is that the expectation of this bad news has already depressed prices indiscriminately across the board.