Article: M&A View: Surge Near, Bank Count to Be Halved.(Analyst Roundtable)(mergers and acquisitions)(Discussion)

Byline: Matthew Monks

The number of U.S. banks could shrink by half in coming years, though a few stumbling blocks still are hindering much-needed consolidation.

That was the consensus of analysts participating in an American Banker roundtable this month in New York.

Economic uncertainty and stringent new accounting rules have the healthiest banks wary of buying weakened rivals, they said. Also, the heads of struggling institutions are still unrealistic about their prospects for survival - but that may be changing as bank failures accelerate.

"This is going to take some time to work through and I think we're somewhat at the tip of the ...

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