(Reuters) – Shares of First Republic Bank were volatile in morning trading on Wednesday as the regional lender struggled to raise capital amid worries that it may need to downsize or seek government support.
Major banks and private equity firms have so far balked at infusing capital on fear of losses on the bank’s loan book and investment portfolio following a rapid rise in interest rates.
The bank’s shares flitted between gains and losses and were last up 3.6% at 10:31 a.m. ET. Shares have lost roughly 87% of their value so far this month.
On Tuesday, Reuters reported First Republic is examining how it can downsize and sell parts of its business, including some of its loan book, in a bid to raise cash and cut costs.
“First Republic is one that’s on its way to getting solved, but it is in the eye of the storm,” said Paul Nolte, senior wealth adviser and market strategist at Murphy & Sylvest.
Earlier this month, concerns about First Republic’s health had prompted top power brokers including U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon to put together an unprecedented $30 billion rescue deal.
U.S. authorities have sought to reassure Americans that the overall banking system remains sound and regulators are committed to ensuring that another regional lender does not collapse in the aftermath of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
“First Republic has its own unique situation. There are other banks that are in negotiations right now to take over their deposits or inject more money into the bank so it’s hard to say right now that it (the banking crisis) is over,” Nolte added.
(Reporting by Manya Saini and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
