Household HSBC Watch

The stock markets were disappointed on Wednesday when HSBC Holdings and Citigroup, Inc. hinted they would not acquire any United States’ banks in the near future. But the announcement probably came as a relief to some small business owners. According to a recent survey by Greenwich Associates, 30 percent of small businesses (those with annual revenues between $1 and $10 million) and 23 percent of midsize businesses (annual revenues of $10 to $500 million) said that merger rumors concerning the banks where they do business would cause them to consider reducing future levels of banking business with them. The reason generally given was an expected decline in service quality.