Atlantic, Wachovia fare well in New York survey.

Publication: Daily News (New York, New York) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Daily News

Byline: Lore Croghan

Sep. 23--Bank analyst Mark Fitzgibbon decided to put down his calculator and close his spread sheet and kick the tires on bank branches himself.

Fitzgibbon and Sandler O'Neill & Partners colleague Frank Schiraldi scoped out the midtown branches of several banks, to test a bank's professionalism, salesmanship and product knowledge. He then gave each branch a grade.

His report card for Manhattan's best -- and worst -- banks ranks Atlantic Bank of New York as the valedictorian among 13 contenders. Wachovia, a relative newcomer to the city, is the salutatorian.

In contrast, the venerable Bank of New York -- an institution since Alexander Hamilton's day -- ranks dead last. JPMorgan Chase and HSBC are tied for next-to-last, their shared grade just a few hundredths of...

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