Barclays 'mulls US high street buy'
It is understood the firm wants to balance its deposit-taking business against a booming investment banking franchise.
Anthony Jenkins, the new head of Barclays' retail operations, is thought to be putting together a paper to go before the board in the next two or three months.
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Hide AdThe bank, which posted a 92 per cent rise in pre-tax profits in 2009 to 11.6bn, has seen the benefits of its high profile deal to buy the North American operations of Lehman Brothers.
And a wave of new regulation meaning banks will have to hold higher levels of capital to support investment banking activities is thought to have strengthened Barclays' desire to acquire a large deposit base.
Barclays is not thought to have a particular target in mind, but bankers and analysts suggested SunTrust, PNC Financial and US Bancorp.
All of these have received state support.