© Reuters. People pass near one of the First Republic Bank branches in New York, U.S. April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
By Chris Prentice and Nupur Anand
NEW YORK (Reuters) -PNC Financial Services Group and JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:) were among banks set to submit final bids for First Republic Bank (NYSE:) by midday Sunday in an auction being run by U.S. regulators, sources familiar with the matter.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp is expected to announce a deal on Sunday night before Asian markets open, with the regulator likely to say at the same time that it had seized the lender, three sources previously told Reuters.
U.S. regulators have been trying to clinch a sale of First Republic over the weekend, with roughly half a dozen banks bidding, sources said on Saturday, in what is likely to be the third major U.S. bank to fail in two months. Guggenheim Securities is advising the FDIC, two sources familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
Citizens Financial (NYSE:) Group Inc was another bidder vying for the bank, according to sources familiar with the matter on Saturday.
FDIC was not immediately available for comment. Guggenheim, FRC and the banks declined to comment.
A deal for First Republic would come less than two months after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (OTC:) failed amid a deposit flight from U.S. lenders, forcing the Federal Reserve to step in with emergency measures to stabilize markets.
While markets have since calmed, a deal for First Republic would be closely watched for the amount of support the government has to provide.
The FDIC officially insures deposits up to $250,000. But fearing further bank runs, regulators took the exceptional step of insuring all deposits at both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature.
It remains to be seen whether regulators would have to do so at First Republic as well. They would need approval by the Treasury secretary, the president and super-majorities of the boards of the Federal Reserve and the FDIC.
In trying to find a buyer before closing the bank, the FDIC is turning to some of the largest U.S. lenders. Large banks had been encouraged to bid for FRC’s assets, one of the sources said.