Wachovia, the third largest American bank with 15 million US customers, has applied for a licence to operate in Ireland. According to lo...

Wachovia, the third largest American bank with 15 million US customers, has applied for a licence to operate in Ireland. According to local media sources the bank will initially operate only in the wholesale banking market, but it is understood that Wachovia intends to use its new Irish base to take on the European market. The US bank’s first foray into Europe was earlier this year when it established a fund management arm in London. In the US, where the bank is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Wachovia provides a broad range of retail banking, stockbroking and wealth management services.