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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 29, 1992                   TAG: 9202290171
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MAG POFF BUSINESS WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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DOMINION STOCK TRADING HIGH

Dominion Bankshares Corp. common stock is trading at a premium, over its book value for the first time in two years.

The shares rose $1.25 on Thursday to $15.25 and moved up another 37 1/2 cents Friday to close the week at $15.625. Book value at the end of the last quarter was $14.34.

The stock of Roanoke-based Dominion traded at $20.25 in early 1990 and sank to $13.375 during the spring of that year. It was as low as $4.875 in early 1991.

Dominion Bank economist Glenn Bowman attributed the sudden rise to several factors.:

The overall stock market has reached record highs recently, affecting virtually all companies.

The banking industry has seen substantial improvement in its financial fundamentals.

People expect an improvement in the economy, which would increase the income of Dominion and other banks.

Shares of other major Virginia banks had moved up recently, although not in a sudden spurt.

Although he had no direct information, Bowman said he'd heard that several national brokerages were buying large numbers of shares for institutional investors.

Guy W. Ford, banking analyst for Scott & Stringfellow Investment Corp. at Norfolk, also had heard that national brokers were buying large blocks of shares.

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