"The Wal-Mart of banking."

The article presents information on the bank Norwest Corp. Norwest's assets rose nearly $7 billion during 1990, and will climb at least another $6 billion in 1991 with completion of the $500 million acquisition of United Banks of Colorado. Norwest has not made a non-guaranteed Third World loan since 1984, and it was the second big bank to take a major charge to cover LDC debt--a $204 million provision in 1987. Norwest hedges risk at every turn. When a technology client sought $11 million in trade finance for a deal in China, Norwest organized a consortium of banks but lent not a penny of its own money.