Frank Barkocy Quotations

The market has been waiting for a major announcement like this to be a catalyst for more deals. There could be a domino effect.

Fundamentals will probably be in line with expectations but that won't be the catalyst to move these stocks,

In that environment banks should do well psychologically as well as fundamentally.

Without the Bank of America-Fleet announcement today, we'd be looking at a much more sluggish performance for bank stocks in the near term. There are still a number of questions about the economy.

Today's actions were pretty well discounted and well telegraphed. It's much more difficult to ascertain what the magnitude of the potential costs from lawsuits might be. So there's still a high degree of headline risk for the brokerages.

Today's actions were pretty well discounted and well telegraphed,

Given the absence of investment banking relationships, these analysts can be less delicate.

They said the odds of First Union doing a merger of equals in the next 24 months is 10 percent or less, ... and in the third year it is probably about 33 percent. They suggested there are only a limited number of players out there that would fit with them and many of them are currently engaged in digesting their own acquisitions.

It's unusual to be that accommodating. But it's kind of balanced by the goodwill consideration of bringing a key (tourism) destination to town.

Expectations for the brokers have turned somewhat more negative. We're not terribly excited about the near-term prospects for a lot of these stocks.