According to published reports during the weekend, investorsrepresenting 85% of ABN Amro shares had voted to accept the deal,and the three-party consortium will announce the outcome this week.The trio also includes Belgium-based Fortis NV and Spain's BancoSantadar Central Hispano SA.http://www.globest.com/news/892_892/gsrglobal/160086-1.html.

In the end, the buyers are paying more for less. Under terms ofthe initial $91-billion bid by London-based Barclays this April,ABN Amro agreed to sell its Chicago-based LaSalle Bank to Bank ofAmerica Corp. for $21 billion. Analysts saw the sale as a move toblock a rival bid.

When later in April the RBS-led consortium upped the ante by 13%with the introduction of its $98.5-billion bid, it was conditionedon LaSalle remaining with ABN Amro. However, Charlotte, NC-basedBofA issued a statement saying it had a legal contract to acquireLaSalle and expected that contract "to be fulfilled." On Oct. 1, itwas, and the sale to BofA closed.