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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. FDIC was not immediately available for comment. The banks declined to comment. Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG.N) was another bidder vying for the bank, according to sources familiar with the matter on Saturday. Reporting by Chris Prentice and Nupur Anand, writing by Megan Davies; Editing by Paritosh BansalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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.

☆ Japan's SMFG boosts U.S. presence via bigger stake in Jefferies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 27 (Reuters) - Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) said it will combine its U.S. equity and M&A business with Jefferies Financial Group Inc (JEF.N) as part of a deal in which its parent, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T), will boost its stake in the U.S firm and its presence in the country. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) will raise its stake in Jefferies from 4.5% currently to as much as 15%, giving it the right to nominate a member to the U.S. company's board of directors, the companies said in a joint statement on Thursday. Its SMBC Nikko Securities unit, formerly Citigroup Inc's (C.N) Japanese broker and a key investment banking unit that SMFG bought in 2009, has a limited footprint abroad. SMFG's bigger domestic rival, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T), has boosted its U.S. presence through a $9 billion investment in Morgan Stanley (MS.N) in 2008, which gave MUFG some 20% ownership of the Wall Street bank. The Financial Times first reported the news on SMBC and Jefferies.

Kirin has offered A$95 cash per Blackmores share, a 23.7% premium to the stock's last close, and a tad higher than its 22.4% jump in morning trade. Before the Kirin deal, its shares had been trading at one-third of their value at the height of the daigou craze in 2016. The board of Blackmores has unanimously recommended shareholders support the deal, with top shareholder and former chairman Marcus Blackmore also agreeing to vote in favour. Blackmores' share price rose as much as 22.4% to A$94, its highest since December 2021. Blackmores shareholders will be able to vote on the offer at a shareholder meeting in July and the companies expect the deal to close in early August.

☆ Western Alliance stock surges as results allay deposit fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Noel Randewich | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Shares of Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) surged 24% on Wednesday after the U.S. regional bank posted stronger-than-expected earnings and said its deposits had stabilized, helping allay fears that last month's banking crisis could envelop more lenders. Wedbush Securities raised its rating on Western Alliance to "outperform" from "neutral" and added the bank to its "Best ideas list", among stocks including Apple (AAPL.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O). Western Alliance's results soothed concerns about the stability of regional banks following worst U.S. banking crisis since 2008. The rally in Western Alliance following its report stood out among several regional banks that have posted quarterly results this week. Western Alliance's stock remains down over 40% from early March, before Silicon Valley Bank's collapse.

☆ The Era of Easy Deposits Is Over for Main Street Banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Rachel Louise Ensign | Gina Heeb | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PHOTO: Douglas R. Clifford/Zuma PressThe era of easy deposits looks like it’s over for the smaller banks that serve a swath of America’s consumers and businesses. Main Street banks such as Citizens Financial Group Inc. and First Horizon Corp. said in recent first-quarter earnings reports they are having a tougher time hanging onto customer money in a world where the Federal Reserve has aggressively raised interest rates. To keep those depositors around, some lenders are paying more on savings accounts and turning to products like certificates of deposit.

☆ Western Alliance's stock surges as results allay deposit fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Noel Randewich | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We are seeing positive news from a regional bank that was in the crosshairs of the whole crisis. Western Alliance's results soothed concerns about the stability of regional banks following worst U.S. banking crisis since 2008. The rally in Western Alliance following its report stands out among several regional banks that have posted their quarterly results this week. Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG.N) was trading near flat after reporting a quarterly profit early on Wednesday that missed Wall Street's estimates. Western Alliance's stock remains down over 40% from early March, before Silicon Valley Bank's implosion.

The two-year Treasury yield , most reflective of short-term rate expectations, hit a one-month high and the 10-year yield hit a four-week high as traders scaled back expectations of rate cuts later this year. Earnings from regional banks were mixed, with Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG.N) falling 3.4% after its first-quarter results missed estimates. Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) rallied 17.3% after the regional bank posted stronger-than-expected earnings and said its deposits had stabilized after the March banking crisis. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 3.70-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.40-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 10 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 17 new highs and 57 new lows.

Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) fell 2.5% after the video-streaming pioneer beat analysts' earnings estimates for the first quarter but offered a downbeat forecast. The two-year Treasury yield , most reflective of short-term rate expectations, hit a one-month high of 4.29% and the 10-year yield hit a four-week high as traders scaled back expectations of rate cuts later this year. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee and New York President John Williams are set to speak later in the day. Earnings from regional banks were mixed, with Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG.N) falling 2.4% after its first-quarter results missed estimates. Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) rallied 20.4% after the regional bank posted stronger-than-expected earnings and said its deposits had stabilized after the March banking crisis.

☆ Japan's SMFG is first global bank to sell AT1 bonds since C.Suisse wipeout
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Junko Fujita | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AT1 bonds - the riskiest tranche of a bank's bonds also known as "contingent convertibles" or "CoCo" bonds - can be converted into equity or written off if a bank's capital level falls below a certain threshold. SMFG sold the bonds in two tranches, in 89 billion yen ($662.50 million) five-year notes, and 51 billion yen 10-year bonds. The 89 billion yen issuance carries a coupon rate of 1.879% for the initial five years and two-month period, a regulatory filing showed. "In Japan, where spreads over corporate bonds are thin, the terms for these AT1 bonds were reasonably good, provided that the banking sector is credible," said Pictet's Otsuki. Japanese banks' AT1 bonds had been configured in a way the value is secured even if the government is involved in restructuring, and SMFG's new issues are seen to have the same features, she said.

☆ SMFG becomes first big Japan bank to sell AT1 bonds since Credit Suisse's debt wipeout
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Junko Fujita | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SMFG priced the bonds in two tranches, in 89 billion yen ($662.50 million) five-year notes, and 51 billion yen 10-year bonds, whose terms market players said were attractive. "In Japan, where spreads over corporate bonds are thin, the terms for these AT1 bonds were reasonably good, provided that the banking sector is credible," said Nana Otsuki, senior fellow at Pictet Japan. Swiss regulator FINMA determined that Credit Suisse's AT1 bonds would be wiped out, a decision that rocked global credit markets. AT1 bonds - known as "contingent convertibles" or "CoCo" bonds - can be converted into equity or written off if a bank's capital level falls below a certain threshold. The 51 billion yen one would yield 2.180% for the first 10 years and two months.

April 19 (Reuters) - Citizens Financial Group Inc's (CFG.N) first-quarter profit missed Wall Street estimates as deposits declined and it set aside more rainy-day funds to cover for souring loans. The potential economic downturn prompted Citizens to set aside $168 million in case its customers default on their loans, compared with $3 million a year earlier. Citizens gradually set aside more money to cover potential losses on office loans, where it predicts weakness as remote working becomes more popular, while rising interest rates and a weaker economy put pressure on borrowers. Average deposits fell 2.6% to $174.4 billion in the three months ended March 31, compared with $179 billion at the end of the previous quarter. Citizens reported an underlying profit of $1.10 per share; analysts' on average had expected it to report $1.13 per share, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

TOKYO, April 7 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan (BOJ) should be cautious about changing its unconventional monetary policy for now, given financial market uncertainty due to problems in Western banks, former top financial diplomat Takehiko Nakao told Reuters in an interview. Nakao made the comments amid speculation the BOJ may abandon its yield curve control policy when new Governor Kazuo Ueda takes over incumbent Haruhiko Kuroda, whose term ends on April 8. U.S. bank failures and the buyout of Credit Suisse by UBS last month have driven financial market risk aversion. Nakao said the BOJ must carefully monitor market developments, for now, although credit anxiety was unlikely to morph into anything like the 2008/09 global financial crisis. "Yet, the BOJ cannot continue unconventional monetary policy, including ETF and REIT purchases and YCC, indefinitely.

☆ Adani trumpets stable ties to global banks in bid to ease investor worries, document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The document, which was reviewed by Reuters, did not elaborate on how the lenders reaffirmed their commitment to the Adani group. Adani group did not respond to a request for comment. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (MUFG) (8306.T), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc's (8316.T) SMBC unit, Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T), Standard Chartered (STAN.L) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) did not immediately respond. CONCERNS ABOUT DEBTThe Hindenburg report had sparked concern among investors about banks' exposures to the Adani group. Now, 39% of Adani's debt is currently in the form of bonds, 29% is from global banks and 32% comes from public or private banks in India, the Adani document added.

☆ Mitsubishi UFJ to postpone AT1 bond issuance in Credit Suisse fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, April 3 (Reuters) - Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T) will postpone the issuance of Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bonds to mid-May or later from late April, a spokesperson said on Monday, after the Swiss decision to wipe out Credit Suisse bonds rattled the market. Mitsubishi UFJ decided on the postponement taking into account investor appetite and market conditions, the spokesperson said. Sources have said Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (8316.T), may put April issuance on hold amid the volatility. As part of the rescue of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) by its rival UBS (UBSG.S), Swiss regulator FINMA determined that Credit Suisse's AT1 bonds with a notional value of 16 billion francs ($17.35 billion) would be wiped out, a decision that stunned global credit markets and angered many holders. Reporting by Ritsuko Shimizu and Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Varun H KOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Citizens Financial Unit Investigated for Sales of Savings Product Controlled by Troubled Financier Greg Lindberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Mark Maremont | Leslie Scism | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Citizens Financial has 1,200 branches, mostly in the Northeast. Massachusetts securities regulators said they are investigating a unit of Citizens Financial Group Inc. over its sales of a savings product offered by an insurer controlled by now-indicted financier Greg Lindberg . News of the probe follows an article published this week in The Wall Street Journal, which reported that tens of thousands of people, many of them retirees, had a total of $2.2 billion of their money frozen since 2019 amid the implosion of Mr. Lindberg’s insurance empire.

☆ Analysis: Investors seek value in clobbered U.S. regional bank shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The ETF has slumped nearly 26% since March 8, when SVB's troubles became known, while the S&P Regional Banks Select Industry Index (.SPSIRBK) is down around 23%. Concerns over deposit flight are still swirling around some regional banks. He owns shares of large regional banks including Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG.N), which have fallen about 22% so far this year, and US Bancorp (USB.N), which are down some 18%. Margie Patel, a senior portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, has been adding new positions in regional banks over the last few weeks, citing "value." Regional banks "need positive news that shows their deposits are holding firm or growing," said Rick Meckler, a partner at family office Cherry Lane Investments.

☆ Vietnam's VPBank completes $1.5 bln stake sale to Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HANOI, March 27 (Reuters) - Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPB.HM) said on Monday it has sold a 15% stake for $1.5 billion to Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (8316.T), expanding the Japanese bank's presence in one of Asia's fastest-growing economies. Following the investment, VPBank, whose business ranges across retail, corporate, consumer finance and wealth management operations, will become Vietnam's second-largest private lender by charter capital, with $5.96 billion. The deal comes as Vietnam's central bank seeks to tighten limits on holding stakes in banks, a move that may make the banking sector less attractive to foreigners. Sumitomo Mitsui, Japan's second-largest banking group is seeking to capture growth in Asian emerging markets through acquisitions, spurred by limited business opportunities at home with ultra-low interest rates and an ageing population. In late 2021, it acquired a 49% stake in Vietnamese consumer lender FE Credit from VPBank.

Citizens, one of the largest U.S. regional banks, is preparing to submit an offer in the auction of the business, which is called SVB Private, the sources said. The FDIC, which now controls the Silicon Valley Bank assets, and Citizens Financial declined to comment. It has since asked for separate offers for SVB Private and Silicon Valley Bank by March 24. SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O), the former parent of Silicon Valley Bank which filed for bankruptcy protection last week, is not part of the process. A big part of it comprises Boston Private, a wealth manager acquired by Silicon Valley Bank in 2021.

☆ Tech pressure, Yellen everywhere: How Washington scrambled as SVB collapsed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Yellen heads to the White House, Brainard meets with her staff and holds Zoom calls in her wood-paneled office in the West Wing. Treasury staff hustle to get Yellen on CBS News' "Face the Nation" program on Sunday, in an attempt to reassure markets. White House officials draft news releases with various scenarios, uncertain until shortly before 6 p.m. if an acquisition can still happen. As he leaves Delaware to return to the White House, Biden tells reporters he will make a statement on Monday. Treasury and White House officials reach out to members of Congress and their staffs throughout the evening to explain the plan, with discussions continuing into Monday.

☆ Exclusive: PNC, RBC interest in SVB cools as regulators seek rescue bids
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A man puts a sign on the door of the Silicon Valley Bank as an onlooker watches at the bank’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California, U.S. March 10, 2023. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) had given a Sunday afternoon deadline for bids for the failed bank, one of the sources said. PNC, one of the 10 largest U.S. banks by assets, wanted to pursue a bid for the entirety of Silicon Valley Bank, one of the sources added, but then studied a bid for parts of Silicon Valley Bank. RBC also explored a takeover of Silicon Valley Bank but it was unlikely to pursue it, three sources said. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday ruled out a government bailout of Silicon Valley Bank and said she was working with regulators to find a solution.

☆ SVB scrambles for options after stock sale failed-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW YORK, March 10 (Reuters) - SVB Financial Group Inc (SIVB.O) is urgently exploring all available options, including a sale of the technology-focused bank, after its bid to raise money through a stock sale failed in the wake of some of its clients withdrawing deposits, according to people familiar with the matter. SVB is talking to other financial institutions and working with advisers as it reviews how it can secure funding, one of the sources said. The sources requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. SVB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by David French and Echo Wang in New YorkOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Explainer: What caused Silicon Valley Bank's failure?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Here is the sequence of events that led to Silicon Valley Bank's failure:FEDERAL RESERVE RAISES RATESThe Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates from their record-low levels since last year in its bid to fight inflation. This weighed on technology startups - the primary clients of Silicon Valley Bank - because it made their investors more risk-averse. SOME SILICON VALLEY BANK CLIENTS FACE CASH CRUNCHAs higher interest rates caused the market for initial public offerings to shut down for many startups and made private fundraising more costly, some Silicon Valley Bank clients started pulling money out to meet their liquidity needs. This culminated in Silicon Valley Bank looking for ways this week to meet its customers' withdrawals. SILICON VALLEY BANK SELLS BOND PORTFOLIO AT A LOSSTo fund the redemptions, Silicon Valley Bank sold on Wednesday a $21 billion bond portfolio consisting mostly of U.S. Treasuries.

☆ Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho report strong Q3 results on solid loan demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T) and Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T) on Thursday reported strong third-quarter profits in their core businesses thanks to an economic rebound in Japan and solid loan demand abroad. Including the expected accounting gain, Mitsubishi UFJ's nine-month net profit totalled 1.14 trillion yen ($8.86 billion), already ahead of its full-year profit forecast of 1 trillion yen. Mizuho's third-quarter net profit more than doubled to 209.3 billion yen compared to the same period last year, when results at the country's No. 3 lender were weighed down by loan loss provisions for KKR & Co's (KKR.N) auto parts supplier Marelli Holdings Co.Japan's second-largest bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (8316.T), on Monday reported a 42.6% jump in third-quarter net profit. ($1 = 128.6100 yen)Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Bond traders get their swagger back in rate-obsessed markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Lananh Nguyen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Andrew KellyNEW YORK, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Bond traders are stars again on Wall Street. Fixed income, currencies and commodities (FICC) traders bolstered bank profits last year despite dreary deal markets. Bond specialists in the $22 trillion Treasuries market are in high demand as the Federal Reserve and other central banks have aggressively raised interest rates over the past two years. After the financial crisis, central bankers in the United States and advanced economies steadied markets by holding interest rates near zero. On Tradeweb Markets Inc's (TW.O) electronic bond trading platforms, average daily volumes rose almost 10% in 2022.

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