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BANKING

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From Times Staff and Wire Reports

Banc One to Acquire West Virginia’s Biggest Bank: Banc One Corp. extended its reach into West Virginia by announcing plans to buy Key Centurion Bancshares Inc. in a stock swap valued at $536 million. Banc One, a regional giant based in Columbus, Ohio, and Charleston, W.Va.-based Key Centurion said they signed a preliminary merger agreement. Analysts said the acquisition of Key Centurion, West Virginia’s biggest bank company with $3 billion in assets, makes sense for Banc One, which has vaulted its way firmly into the top 10 of U.S. bank companies over the past year.

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