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☆ UBS says it's time to start picking off some of the safer regional banks on the cheap
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The selloff in regional banks may have created a buying opportunity for certain investors in some of the safer, large-cap names, UBS said in a note Thursday. PacWest is the latest regional bank to lead the sector lower following the news late Wednesday that it is weighing its options , including a possible sale. The rout began in March with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and subsequent deposit outflows in regional banks. However, regional banks were under pressure again Thursday. The SPDR S & P Regional Bank ETF (KRE) dropped more than 8%.

The deal talks went down to the wire, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Four bidders, including JPMorgan, made it to the final rounds of the auction on Sunday night, one of the sources said. The final deal, announced around 3:30 a.m., cements Dimon's reputation as one of Wall Street's most powerful bankers. JPMorgan started a process internally, which looked at various options for First Republic, including an acquisition, according to a source familiar with the matter. The auction dragged out through the night as the FDIC's advisors examined each bid on its merits, a source familiar with the matter said.

☆ NYSE to delist First Republic Bank shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - The New York Stock Exchange said on Tuesday it will delist shares of First Republic Bank (FRC.N), the lender that was seized by regulators before JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) acquired most of its assets. Apart from the company's common stock, seven different types of its preferred stock will also be delisted. Trading in all the shares will be suspended immediately, the exchange said. First Republic was acquired by Merrill Lynch in 2007. California regulators on Monday seized First Republic and put it into Federal Deposit Insurance Corp receivership, marking the third major U.S. bank failure in two months and the largest since Washington Mutual in 2008.

The S&P 500 Banks index (.SPXBK) gained 1.4%. Big banks such as Bank of America (BAC.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) rose 0.3% and 2.8%, respectively. First Republic's woes kicked off last week on a bleak note, but upbeat earnings from Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) helped the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) notch its second consecutive month of gain on Friday. Analysts now expect first-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies to fall 1.9% from a year earlier, compared with a 5.1% fall expected at the start of April, according to Refinitiv data. The S&P index recorded 21 new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 48 new highs and 47 new lows.

☆ Futures muted as Fed caution sets in, JPMorgan to buy First Republic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The rescue comes less than two months after a deposit flight from U.S. lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank forced the Fed to step in with emergency measures to stabilize markets. Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is set to report later this week. Markets should take today's news in stride knowing that the repeated bank failures should now have the Fed back on its heels and defanged moving forward." ET, Dow e-minis were down 14 points, or 0.04%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 3.75 points, or 0.09%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 13.5 points, or 0.1%. Reporting by Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jamie Dimon bails out First Republic – and FDIC
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In the wee hours of Monday morning, however, he agreed to take mid-sized First Republic Bank (FRC.N) out of receivership from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The bank acquires nearly $229 billion of assets and absorbs some $173 billion in loans at a roughly 13% discount to book values. After taxes and paying the FDIC $10.6 billion, JPMorgan should get a $2.6 billion boost before integration costs. The agency will share losses of up to 80% on the large majority of First Republic’s loan book. There’s also a $50 billion loan from the FDIC at specific terms that have not been disclosed so far.

NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - PNC Financial Services Group (PNC.N) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) were among banks set to submit final bids for First Republic Bank (FRC.N) by midday Sunday in an auction being run by U.S. regulators, sources familiar with the matter said. Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG.N) was another bidder in the final phase of the process, according to one of the sources familiar with the matter. Guggenheim Securities is advising the FDIC, two sources familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG.N) was another bidder vying for the bank, according to sources familiar with the matter on Saturday. But fearing further bank runs, regulators took the exceptional step of insuring all deposits at both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature.

☆ Forget the pension protests. France’s economy has momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

France’s economy grew 0.2% in the first quarter of this year, its national statistics agency said Friday, after stagnating in the previous quarter. Yet the long-running protests are unlikely to leave a lasting dent in France’s economy, according to Charlotte de Montpellier, a senior economist at Dutch bank ING. But its $2.8 trillion economy has held up comparatively well. Office buildings illuminated in the La Defense business district of Paris, France, on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. ‘Momentum’ building for banksBritain’s exit from the European Union has also been a boon for France’s financial sector.

☆ FDIC asks JPMorgan, PNC for final First Republic bids, media reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Bank of America (BAC.N) is among several other institutions weighing a potential bid for First Republic, CNBC reported on Saturday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Based on those submissions on Friday, the FDIC invited at least two companies to the next step in the bidding, the Bloomberg report added, citing people familiar with the matter. The FDIC said in an email: "We would not comment on or confirm whether we are bidding an open institution." PNC Financial declined to comment on the Bloomberg report. JPMorgan and Bank of America did not immediately respond to a voicemail and email seeking comment.

☆ FDIC prepares to place First Republic under receivership
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Greg Roumeliotis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

April 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is preparing to place First Republic Bank (FRC.N) under receivership imminently, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, sending shares of the lender down nearly 50% in extended trading. The FDIC asked banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and PNC Financial Services Group (PNC.N) to submit final bids for First Republic Bank by Sunday, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday. If the San Francisco-based lender falls into receivership, it would be the third U.S. bank to collapse since March. Shares of some other regional banks also fell, with PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) down 2% after the bell while Western Alliance (WAL.N) was down 0.7%. "The rest of the regional bank system feels like it's in a different place than where FRC is," he said.

Guggenheim Securities is advising the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) on the sale process, two sources familiar with the matter said. The process kicked off this week after First Republic, which got swept up in a banking crisis last month, failed to come up with a deal without government help, three of the sources familiar with the situation said. A deal for First Republic would come less then two months after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed amid a deposit flight from U.S. lenders, forcing the Federal Reserve to step in with emergency measures to calm markets. A sale would bring to an end a weeks-long effort by First Republic to survive the market rout. When that deal failed to stabilize First Republic, the lender, known best for its rich clientele, tried to find other private-sector solutions.

☆ What’s next for troubled First Republic Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —First Republic Bank is still an independent bank. The FDIC had already done so with two other similar sized banks just last month — Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank — when runs on those banks by their customers left the lenders unable to cover customers’ demands for withdrawals. Nervous major depositorsThe financial report showed depositors had withdrawn about 41% of their money from the bank during the first quarter. In its earnings statement, the bank said insured deposits declined moderately during the quarter and have remained stable from the end of last month through April 21. So when customers lose confidence in a bank and rush to withdrawal their money, what is known as a “run on the bank,” it can cause even an otherwise profitable bank to fail.

☆ First Republic could make failure safe again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - When Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed in March, U.S. authorities bailed out their depositors regardless of size. The slower destruction at First Republic Bank (FRC.N) could provide an opportunity to reverse the regrettable precedent. And while it’s never good when a business fails, there’s a potential benefit to letting First Republic go. First Republic had $233 billion of assets at the end of March, and $104 billion of deposits compared with $176 billion at the end of December. Silicon Valley Bank, owned by SVB Financial, was taken into receivership on March 10, while Signature Bank was closed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp on March 12.

☆ Analysis: China rebound buoys hopes for stronger-than-expected US, Europe earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But recent data and upbeat comments from major companies like LVMH (LVMH.PA), Europe's most valuable listed company, about business in China have given investors some cause for optimism. Refinitiv I/B/E/S data points to a 2.5% decline in earnings growth in the first quarter for STOXX 600 (.STOXX) companies, down from a forecast for 5.4% growth prior to the banking chaos. Europe is headed for a recession too, the data shows, with a drop in earnings of 5.4% expected in the second quarter. But stubbornly high inflation means major central banks are expected to continue to hike rates, at least in May. European financials are expected to report first-quarter earnings growth of 31%, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Big bank earnings season is over. Here's how our stocks stack up against peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Big bank earnings are behind us. Investment banks Goldman Sachs (GS) and Club holding Morgan Stanley (MS) are the two pure-play investment banks we care about. Third place was tight, but the combination of better earnings growth and a significantly better ROTCE made Bank of America (BAC) the better performer. Sizing up bank valuations Morgan Stanley is currently trading at a premium at 13.7 times forward earnings, compared to 10.3 for GS. Morgan Stanley Chairman and Chief Executive James Gorman speaks during the Institute of International Finance Annual Meeting in Washington, October 10, 2014.

☆ How to put your best travel foot forward for Earth Day 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

But you don’t have to totally cut out travel or stay super close to home to be a good planetary citizen. You need a city that’s dedicated to getting it right to best enjoy an urban biking vacation. Here, we've curated 30 of our favorite corners, including the Thu Bon River, which flows through central Vietnam. A maze of rivers and caves, the UNESCO World Centre is defined by its craggy limestone facades and jade green water. Bruno De Hogues/Photodisc/Getty Images Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is heaven for spelunkers.

☆ Analysis: Bearish fundamentals, buoyant charts complicate outlook for US stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Technical indicators such as equity price movement largely show stocks are poised to continue a rally that has seen the S&P 500 climb 8% year-to-date, analysts who track them said. TECHNICALLY SPEAKINGThe S&P 500 (.SPX) has traded in a 9.7 percentage point range year-to-date, its narrowest range for comparable periods since 2017. Johnson, who has a year-end S&P 500 target of 4,625, is encouraged by the reversals in downtrends for many U.S. stock indexes. The S&P 500 has traded higher 83% of the time for the full year, returning an average 13.73%, when it hasn't dropped below the preceding year’s December low in the first quarter, a Piper Sandler analysis showed. The S&P 500 is trading at about 18 times 12-month forward earnings estimates compared to its long-term average P/E of 15.6 times, according to Refinitiv Datastream.

☆ Bank of America or Citi? Analysts say one stock is set to soar 50%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Two of them were Citi and Bank of America , both of which exceeded forecasts on revenue and other metrics. Bank of America: 'Superior resiliency' Bank of America continues to demonstrate a "Goliath is Winning" theme, Wells Fargo said in an April 18 note. The bank's earnings came in at 94 cents per share, above Wall Street's estimate of 82 cents, according to Refinitiv. Wells Fargo gave Bank of America a price target of $45, or potential upside of nearly 50% from Wednesday's close. Wells Fargo gave Citi a price target of $62, or potential 24% upside from Wednesday's close — smaller than the upside it gave Bank of America.

☆ U.S. company comments suggest upbeat demand despite gloomy forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The credit card company reported quarterly earnings that missed analysts' expectations, however, as it kept aside a large sum to cover potential defaults. That would mark the second straight quarterly fall for corporate earnings, a so-called "earnings recession" that last occurred when COVID-19 hit corporate results in 2020. Moreover, in aggregate, companies are reporting earnings 7.8% above expectations, compared with a 4.2% average for the prior four quarters. Baker Hughes Co. (BKR.O) said in a presentation this week that the energy outlook remained constructive even with elevated recession risks. Both Delta (DAL.N) and United (UAL.O) gave upbeat near-term outlooks on travel demand, with Delta a week ago saying it expects summer travel demand will result in higher-than-expected profit for the quarter through June despite other risks.

☆ Wall Street aces its real-life stress test
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

One flaw in this plan is that the Federal Reserve, which designs the stress test, has tended to assume that when bad times come, interest rates would fall, not rise. Because their clients also fear sudden shifts in interest rates, they call on fixed-income securities desks to help offlay the risk. One clear outcome of higher interest rates is that banks are lending less, and more carefully. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsFollow @johnsfoley on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSLarge U.S. banks reported their first-quarter earnings between April 14 and April 19. Both said that trading revenue had declined from first quarter 2022, but it was substantially higher than the last three months of the year.

☆ Retail traders are dumping tech stocks, but loading up on this one big bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Retail traders may be selling tech stocks en masse, but they're spying opportunity in one major financial institution — Bank of America. Beneath the hood, however, retail traders are increasingly pivoting away from big tech names in favor of financials – suggesting a rotation between the biggest gainers and laggards in markets this year. Given this, here are 10 of the biggest stocks retail traders bought into this past week: Retail traders snapped up Bank of America shares, resulting in $82 million in net inflows, according to JPMorgan. American Airlines Group saw a big surge in retail trader interest, which saw a net $68 million in inflows. On the other hand, retail traders dumped some notable tech names such as Apple , with saw net selling of $190 million this past week.

☆ Deposit flight at U.S. regional banks blights interest income gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The flight of deposits at Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB.O), Comerica (CMA.N), Truist Financial Corp (TFC.N) and KeyCorp (KEY.N) dampened gains that the lenders made in their interest income benefiting from the U.S. Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary policy tightening through the past year. Only, Huntington Bancshares Inc (HBAN.O), among banks reporting on Thursday, managed to grow average total deposits by $472 million from the prior quarter. In the aftermath, the KBW Regional Banking Index (.KRX) has tumbled 19.4% this year, through previous close. Clients are expected to continue the shift toward other assets that bring in higher returns unless the banks increase returns, analysts have said. Citizens Financial (CFG.N) on Wednesday cut its forecast for net interest income, expecting an increase in the rate it pays out for deposits to clients.

☆ Short positions on Canada's TD Bank rise to $6.1 billion, ORTEX data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Maiya Keidan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TORONTO, April 19 (Reuters) - Hedge fund bets against Canada's TD Bank Group (TD.TO) hit $6.1 billion on Wednesday, a 45% increase from 14 days ago, according to data provider ORTEX's calculations, one day ahead of the Canadian lender's annual general meeting. So-called 'arbitrage investors', many of which are event-driven hedge funds, bet on mergers and acquisitions by buying shares of the target and shorting the acquirer's stock. TD, which is awaiting regulatory approval of its takeover of First Horizon, is expected to address the $13.4 billion deal at its AGM on Thursday in Toronto. Hedge funds profit when they borrow a stock from an institutional investor and sell it back when the price falls, pocketing the difference, a practice known as short-selling. TD shares are down 0.1% since the U.S. regional banking crisis began, and up 3.4% this week.

☆ Factbox: How big US banks are managing bad loan reserves
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A J.P. Morgan logo is seen outside the JPMorgan bank offices in Paris, France, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierApril 17 (Reuters) - U.S. banking heavyweights set aside billions of dollars in the first quarter to account for potential bad loans, as rising interest rates turn up the heat on borrowers who are just starting to see some relief from inflation. Below is an outline of how banks have managed their reserves since 2020:JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N)Bank of America Corp (BAC.N)Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N)Citigroup Inc (C.N)Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N)Morgan Stanley (MS.N)Source: Company statementsReporting by Manya Saini and Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; editing by Deepa Babington and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Stocks slip as focus falls back on Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Fed's "beige book" of economic conditions is published later on Wednesday and appearances are due from Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee and New York Fed President John Williams. Markets are pricing an 86% chance the Fed raises rates by 25 basis points at the May meeting, and that wasn't swayed terribly much by conflicting outlooks from two non-voting Fed officials on Tuesday. St Louis Fed President James Bullard told Reuters the Fed ought to keep raising rates to subdue persistent inflation. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic told CNBC he thinks the Fed should hike one more time then pause to consider the next move. The prospect of peak rates has been applying downward pressure on the U.S. dollar.

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