The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that bidding will be relatively muted as Laurentian Bank of Canada and its 57 branches come on the block. The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that in fact, there are lots of reasons to believe Laurentian's board could conclude the strategic review announced on Tuesday by opting for the status quo by shutting down the sales process and telling chief executive officer Rania Llewellyn and her team to continue the overhaul they launched two years ago. Montreal-based Laurentian is struggling to improve profitability, lacks scale in retail banking and relies on one U.S. unit -- asset-backed lender Northpoint Commercial Finance -- for a significant chunk of its income. Northpoint's business includes lending to buyers of Jet Skis, ATVs and motorbikes, clients whose disposable income drops when the economy cools and interest rates rise. "The strategic rationale for acquiring Laurentian is not very strong," analyst Meny Grauman at Scotiabank said in a report. In a nod to Laurentian's deep roots in Quebec, home to roughly a third of customers, he said, "Any deal for the bank must contend with significant political and retention risks given the regional dynamics of the country."