And last year, it picked up Sterling for $4 billion, its biggest acquisition yet.

It would be the biggest acquisition of an American financial institution by a foreign bank.

"It made us feel very good about the big acquisition."

If the campaign fails, he says, the bank will at best be unable to make any big acquisitions.

Nor did he express any sense of relief at finally having made a big acquisition.

It would have been the biggest corporate acquisition in history.

The corporate business was enhanced through the two big acquisitions.

"It would be new for us to do a big acquisition."

Since that time there has been a number of acquisitions both big and small.

The Met is also selling to cover a big acquisition.