Barclays bank said today its takeover offer for Dutch rival ABN Amro was on track, with "substantially all" of the pre-acquisition competition and regulatory filings done.
The British bank said it noted Bank of America had submitted its application to the US Federal Reserve to buy ABN's disputed US unit, LaSalle Bank.
Barclays has come under pressure from some shareholders in recent days, with US hedge fund Atticus Capital urging Barclays to drop the ABN bid and expressing concern it could get drawn into an "auction at inflated prices".
But Barclays chief executive John Varley reiterated today that the ABN offer provided "significant and sustained value for shareholders".