Regions May Lend $200 Million to Buyers of Morgan Keegan Broker

Regions Financial Corp. is offering as much as $200 million to help finance the sale of its Morgan Keegan brokerage unit, said people with knowledge of the matter.

As part of a plan to boost capital and pay back a U.S. bailout, Birmingham, Alabama-based Regions is in talks with two competing groups of private-equity firms seeking to buy the brokerage, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private. A deal valued at more than $1 billion may be reached within weeks, the people said.