BUSINESS MEMO: MERCANTILE EARNINGS

Mercantile Bancorporation Inc. has reported third-quarter earnings at $110,506,000 or 71 cents a share, an increase of 4.4 percent from third-quarter results of a year ago, before the impact of nonrecurring items. Net income for the quarter was $63,144,000, or 41 cents a share. During the quarter, Mercantile recorded after-tax merger expenses of $76.8 million.

During the quarter Mercantile converted HomeCorp Inc., and Firstbank of Illinois Co. banking systems to Mercantile. The company also completed acquisitions of Financial Service Corporation of the Midwest, headquartered in Rock Island, Ill.; First Financial Bancorporation, headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa; and Bruno Stolze & Co., a discount brokerage firm in St. Louis,

Total assets as of Sept. 30 were $34.6 billion, up 4.4 percent from last year. Mercantile Bancorporation, headquartered at St. Louis, operates offices at more than 600 sites throughout Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois and Arkansas, including Cape Girardeau.