Wachovia to buy SouthTrust for $14.3B - 2004-07-20
In the latest big bank acquisition, Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia Corp. revealed Monday that it will buy Birmingham, Ala.-based SouthTrust Corp. for $14.3 billion.

In the Memphis area, SouthTrust Bank has offices in Arlington, Bartlett, Cordova and Germantown, and in Memphis on Hacks Cross. The company also operates SouthTrust Mortgage Corp. on Poplar.
Read the full story at Memphis Business Journal

Cendant near sale of mortgage unit - 2004-07-20
Cendant, the owner of Century 21, Days Inn and Avis, didn't reveal the name of the potential buyer; nor did it set a deadline for talks to be completed. The terms of the potential transaction are subject to due diligence, the New York-based company said.

A New York Post report on Monday suggested Countrywide Financial as a suitor, but a spokeswoman for the Calabasas, Calif. mortgage firm declined to comment.
Read the full story at CBS Market Watch