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Discusses two departures of two banking companies from the factoring business. Regions Financial Corp. of Birmingham, Alabama to sell its Capital Factors Inc. of Florida to Perry Capital LLC in New York; CIT Group Inc. of New York selling the assets of Receivables Capital Management, a unit of SunTrust Banks Inc.; What factoring is in the loan business; The top four companies in the factoring business; The reason analysts say SunTrust and Regions have problems succeeding in the business; The career highlights of industry veteran, Andrew H. Tananbaum, who will run Capital Factors LLC.

Announces that Synovus Financial Corp. will merge three of its Florida banks into one bearing the Synovus name. Analysis of the company's strategy; Commitment of Synovus executives to the strategy, which they feel gives the bank an edge over rivals; Profile of Synovus Financial.

Offers a look at the growth of the Royal Bank of Canada in Florida as of July 2004. Interest of RBC Centura Bank, the U.S. branch of the bank, in buying or building small banks in Florida; Migration of Canadians to Florida.

BB&T Corp., aware of investors' unease with acquisitions, has in recent months pledged to slow its pace of purchases, but Tuesday's deal for Republic Bancshares Inc. of Saint Petersburg, Florida, shows that it remains a buyer. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, company said it would pay $436 million in cash and stock for the $2.8 billion-asset Republic, which has been rumored to be a takeover target since last summer. The deal would nearly quadruple BB&T's branches in Florida, where the $90.4 billion-asset company has been looking to expand for some time. Florida remains a primary target for future expansion by BB&T, because of the state's fast-growing and wealthy markets and BB&T's relatively tiny operations there.

Columbus, Georgia-based Synovus Financial Corp. has expanded across the Southeast over the past two decades primarily by acquiring small banks and keeping their names and management intact. But small pickings in the Florida mergers and acquisitions market have forced it to depart from that strategy to enter Jacksonville. In February the $21 billion-asset Synovus paid $81 million for United Financial Holdings Inc. of Saint Petersburg, which operates along Florida's Gulf coast. Synovus wanted to enter Jacksonville by acquisition but was unable to find a suitable property at the right price, said president and chief operating officer Richard E. Anthony.

Reports on the expansion of BB&T Corp. in Florida, following a deal that involves purchasing of Tallahassee, Florida-based Regional Financial Corp. Plans of acquisitions by the company in Florida; Earnings expected from the company; Position of the company in other markets.

Reports the decision of various financial services companies to offer a wider set of products and services in Boca Raton, Florida. Details on the meeting of the Securities Industry Association; Merger of J.P. Morgan and Chase Manhattan; Impact of the September 11 terrorist attack on the securities industry.

Announces the agreement of SunTrust Banks Inc. to purchase the Florida branch network of Huntington Bancshares Inc. in September 2001. Financial terms of the deal; Expected benefit for SunTrust of the acquisition; Other prospective buyers which lost to SunTrust in the bid for Huntington.

Focuses on Birmingham, Alabama-based Amsouth Bancorp's branch-building project in Florida. Target number of branches to be built in several Florida cities; Aim of doubling profit contributions of business banking and wealth management, facilitate the growth of home-equity lending and other consumer banking products; Ranking of Amsouth Bancorp among other major banks in terms of Florida deposits.

States the Bank of America Corp. is developing a plan to provide services to low- and moderate-income markets in Florida. Outlook for the bank to meet with community groups and leaders, according to the bank's community development executive, Douglas Woodrufff; The amount of the B of A nationwide community commitment; The Information given to Al Pina, chairman of the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition, in a letter.

Discusses the financial performance of AmSouth Bancorp. Drop in third-quarter profits from the previous year; Factors contributing to the growth and financial status of the regional bank, including the four hurricanes in Florida; Cost of the money-laundering settlement with banking regulators; Financial data for the Birmingham company; Remarks of AmSouth's chief executive, C. Dowd Ritter; Mention of another Alabama bank, Colonial Bancorp Inc.; Comments of analysts Kevin Fitzsimmons and Jacqueline Reeves.

Focuses on bank mergers and takeover targets. View of David Hendler of CreditSights Inc. that Compass Bancshares Inc. and AmSouth Bancorp in Birmingham, Alabama and SunTrust Banks Inc. of Atlanta are near-term targets; Rationale for Compass to do a deal with an out-of-region bank; Financial information for Compass and SunTrust; Companies that are interested in purchasing "fill-in" banking operations; Indication that Colonial BancGroup Inc. will buy Union Bank of Florida; Outlook for SunTrust to buy National Commerce Financial Corp. of Memphis; Comments of Lehman Brothers analyst, Jason Goldberg and AmSouth spokesman, Rick Swagler.

Reports that the United States Department of Justice has approved the purchase of SouthTrust Corp. by Wachovia Corp. provided 18 SouthTrust branches in Georgia and Florida are sold. Belief that the sale of the Florida branches could spark a bidding war by companies eager to pick up business in the state; How Wachovia, even after the branch divestitures, will be the largest bank in an eight-state region from Florida to Virginia with deposits of about $168 billion; Which branches will be sold; Expectations of job cuts as a result of the acquisition; Approval which is still required from the shareholders and the Federal Reserve.

Mentions the merger of Wachovia Corp. and SouthTrust Corp. and the amount of community loans and investments they will make over a five year period. Concession made during the bank merger; Financial data on both companies; Comment of Wachovia CEO and chairman, G. Kennedy Thompson; Pledge commitments made in other mega-bank mergers; Amount allocated to Florida, which is Wachovia's largest market; Objection to the merger from the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition.

Reports the financial performance of Colonial BanGroup Inc. in Alabama. Growth in second-quarter profits from the previous year; Acquisition of P.C.B. Bancorp Inc., which put half of Colonial's assets and deposits in Florida; Data on the regional banking company's credit costs, expenses, and loans.

National Commerce Financial Corp. of Memphis said on Friday that it plans to expand into Florida this year under a new agreement with a longtime partner, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for new in-store branches. The deal calls for opening at least 70 new in-store branches in Georgia and Florida from the third quarter through 2005. At first the branches would use the National Bank of Commerce brand name, and not the Wal-Mart banking brand the two companies are testing in the Atlanta area. The $23 billion-asset banking company has had branches in Wal-Mart stores in Georgia and Tennessee since 1997.

Branch Banking & Trust Co. of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has bought the $2.8 billion-asset Republic Bancshares Inc. of Saint Petersburg, Florida, for $392 million. The purchase, completed on Wednesday and announced on Thursday, was its second of a Florida banking company. In all, Branch Banking & Trust Co. now has $97 billion of assets and 1,400 branches, from Florida north to Washington and west to Kentucky.

Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) said on Monday that its U.S. retail banking unit, RBC Centura Bank Inc., had opened a bilingual branch in Hollywood, Florida. High concentrations of Spanish speakers in certain Florida markets necessitate bilingual branches. The RBC branch's second language, however, will be French. RBC said the branch is intended to serve Quebecois who travel to Florida.

Synovus Financial Corp. said on Thursday that it has agreed to sell Quincy State Bank in Florida to Capital City Bank Group Inc. of Tallahassee for $26 million. The $119 million-asset Quincy State has branches in Quincy and Havana, two Florida towns near Tallahassee. Synovus, of Columbus, Georgia, has sold other banks and branches in recent years in an effort to focus on faster-growing markets. The $21 billion-asset company operates 40 banks in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. The $1.8 billion-asset Capital City said the deal would add to earnings immediately.

Synovus Financial Corp. of Columbus, Georgia, said Tuesday it has agreed to buy the $250 million-asset Peoples Florida Banking Corp. of Palm Harbor, Florida. The $21 billion-asset Synovus would get four new offices on Florida's west coast. The acquisition deal needs regulatory and shareholder approval.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America Corp. said on Tuesday that it will spend $53 million to construct, staff, and maintain 18 new branches in the Tampa, Florida market over the next two years as part of a nationwide branching. The Tampa branches are among 550 new ones that the nation's largest consumer bank has said it plans to add by the end of 2005. The company currently has about 4,400 branches in 22 states and the District of Columbia.

This article reports on the renewal of a sponsorship agreement by Wachovia Corp., with the National Football League's Miami Dophins for five years. The deal lets it put advertisements on the Dolphins' radio and television broadcasts, Internet sites, and printed publications, as well as signs in Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Focuses on the expansion plan of Synovus Financial Corp. in Florida. Announcement of the company to buy St. Petersburg, Florida-based United Financial Holdings Inc.; Price to be paid for the purchase of United Financial Holdings Inc. by the company.

Reports that BB&T Corp. has acquired Tallahassee, Florida-based Regional Financial Corp., while completing branch name changes and system conversions at Louisville, Kentucky-based MidAmerica Bancorp, which it bought in March 2002. Corporate profile of Regional Financial and MidAmerica.

Reports on Wachovia Corp.'s plan to close its First Union and Wachovia branches when it begins consolidating and renaming its retail banking operations in Florida. Key areas in Florida where closings are planned; Additional closings expected in the Southeast region.

Focuses on the impact of the September 11 terrorist attack on the securities industry in Boca Raton, Florida. Need for securities industries to expand disaster planning; Availability of back-up systems in case of disruptions; Regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission on the back-up capabilities.

Reports on Wachovia Corp.'s plans to close its bank branches in Florida. Reasons behind the move; Locations of the branches.