Coventry Building Society is in merger talks with the relatively smaller rival Stroud & Swindon Building Society. The discussion between both the parties, if successful, will add up to the string of successful acquisitions, after Chesham's takeover by Britain's fourth-largest building society Skipton.

Coventry Building's total assets are valued at 18.4 billion pounds in comparison to Stroud & Swindon's assets of 2.5 billion pounds. The merger "would only proceed if it were to the benefit of both sets of members", the company said in a statement.

On Dec. 31, 2009, Coventry's pretax profits stood at 56.2 million Pounds.

A statement from Coventry validated that talks are happening, but stressed that no decision has yet been made.

It says, "There is no certainty that these will lead to a merger, which would only proceed if it were to the benefit of both sets of members".