What Are the Key Attributes of an Acquisition?

When you're eyeing an acquisition, what are some of the key attributes that you're looking for? How much of what you're doing dealwise can be planned out as part of a long term strategy, and how much of it is opportunistic based on what's available in the market? I'll start with the latter. As we look at acquisitions, and i've probably looked at several hundred acquisitions over the last five years, the single most important ina financial services acquisition is culture. It sabout the people, an understanding of the culture of the target institution and how it is going to meld.