31.   She said senior bank officials were aware that Lafferty was misspending estate money and sought to appease him rather than to stop him.

32.   She said banks and consumer retailers also are doing well.

33.   Teele said two banks, three restaurants and a branch of a national drugstore had opened in the neighborhood in the last year.

34.   The capital increase will be used to finance expansion of its investment banking activities, the bank said.

35.   The charges will be fully offset by one-time gains from venture capital and equity investments, the bank said.

36.   The bank said last month its fourth-quarter earnings were hurt by wild gyrations in the prices of assets it trades, including emerging market debt.

37.   The continuing weakness of the lira was another reason for the decision, said the bank.

38.   The EPA said recent bank failures is contributing to a decline in corporate confidence.

39.   The improvement was a result of an increase in net interest income and a decline in bad debt charges, the bank said.

40.   The rise came amid gains in trading in foreign exchange and securities, said the bank.