BUSINESS MEMO: 'TOP 10' HONORS

Commerce Bancshares Inc., a Missouri-based banking holding company with headquarters offices in St. Louis and Kansas City, has been ranked among the "Top 10" banks in the United States in overall performance.

Salomon Smith Barney reviewed and rated the top 50 banks in the nation, based on performance, productivity, asset-quality and capital measure as of yearend 1998.

Commerce Bancshares, which has more than 300 locations in Illinois, Kansas and Missouri, including the Cape Girardeau, was ranked second overall in capital strength and third overall in balance sheet asset quality.

Commerce was the only bank among the top l

0 located in the Midwest market area.