Bank of America CEO candidates list narrows: report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp's (BAC.N) board has narrowed the list of company candidates to replace retiring chief executive Kenneth Lewis to the bank's chief risk officer and its consumer and small-business banking chief, The Wall Street Journal reported on its website on Tuesday.

Chief Risk Officer Gregory Curl, 61, likely would keep the job for no more than two years, the Journal said. The small-business banking chief, Brian Moynihan, is 49 and would be a longer-term choice, the Journal reported.

An external candidate under consideration is former Merrill Lynch & Co President and Chief Operating Officer Gregory Fleming, the Journal said. Fleming is a senior research scholar and lecturer at Yale Law School.

Bank of America spokesman Bob Stickler declined to comment on the Journal's report.

"The committee is looking to complete its search process sooner rather than later," he said, adding that he expects the process to be completed "well, well before December 31st."

The board's choice could take over before the end of the year if Lewis had to step down amid legal pressure, the Journal reported.

(Reporting by Robert MacMillan and Joe Rauch; Editing by Gary Hill)