Article: Wells Fargo will acquire Wachovia; The $15 billion deal could serve to boost public confidence in the sagging banking sector. But rival Citigroup threatened to sue.(BUSINESS)

Byline: CHRIS SERRES; STAFF WRITER

In a single stroke, Wells Fargo & Co. achieved what many thought impossible in recent weeks: It rescued a troubled bank without putting billions of taxpayer dollars at risk.

On Friday, in a dramatic turn of events that could bolster public confidence in the banking sector, Wells Fargo's board of directors approved a $15.1 billion takeover of Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia Corp. in a deal that requires no government assistance and scuttles a federally backed deal between Wachovia and Citigroup.

Citigroup threatened legal action Friday, and may sweeten its bid for Wachovia. That could touch off a takeover battle ...

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