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WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, March 25 (Reuters) - The banking crisis set off by the swift collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) has exposed a sharp disconnect between Washington and Wall Street. Some critics are asking whether the Biden administration could have contained the crisis with aggressive actions at the start. FINDING A BUYER FOR SVBThe failure of the nation's 16th largest bank caught regulators off guard. The banking industry itself is not united on how to reassure depositors. The banking industry is searching for sweeping relief to calm markets, while Washington is discussing how to prevent the next crisis.

Discussions between the SEC and Coinbase broke down in recent weeks, with one source saying the two sides had moved "further apart." The crypto industry believes it operates in a regulatory gray area not governed by existing U.S. securities laws - and that new legislation is needed to regulate the industry. "But if necessary, we welcome the opportunity for Coinbase and the broader crypto community to get clarity in court." Prior to Gensler's arrival, the SEC engaged in targeted enforcement, but the Democratic chair has ratcheted up focus on crypto platforms themselves. "There couldn't be a more significant development for crypto markets and crypto investors," said Philip Moustakis, former SEC enforcement lawyer and partner with Seward and Kissel LLP in New York.

Morgan Stanley analyst Manan Gosalia, in a report earlier this week, set a target price of $54 for First Republic shares in a best-case scenario. "I have not considered or discussed anything having to do with blanket insurance or guarantees of deposits," she said. The Morgan Stanley report considered that a potential extension of FDIC insurance could bring a majority of First Republic's customers back. Even if it clinches a cash infusion, the lender will probably need to take losses on securities in its so-called held-to-maturity portfolio, the Morgan Stanley analysts wrote. In the worst-case scenario, First Republic's shares would sink to just $1, Morgan Stanley analysts estimated.

Morgan Stanley analyst Manan Gosalia, in a report earlier this week, set a target price of $54 for First Republic shares in a best-case scenario. That hope was reduced on Wednesday, after Yellen told a hearing of the U.S. Senate's Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services that the government "is not considering insuring all uninsured bank deposits." The Morgan Stanley report considered that a potential extension of FDIC insurance could bring a majority of First Republic's customers back. Even if it clinches a cash infusion, the lender will probably need to take losses on securities in its so-called held to maturity portfolio, the Morgan Stanley analysts wrote. In the worst-case scenario, First Republic's shares would sink to just $1, Morgan Stanley analysts estimated.

Last year it breached liquidity requirements at some of its entities after an unsubstantiated social media report sparked client exits. In the U.S., the decision to insure all bank deposits after SVB was shuttered surprised many. QUICKLY DISAPPEARSome in the banking industry play down the risks of another SVB-style downfall spurred by social media. Regulators will also need to monitor social media and develop a set of protocols to guide how they respond, according to Patricia McCoy, a law professor at Boston College. "They need to be looking for any signs of unsubstantiated rumors, panic starting to mount on social media, and they've got to do it around the clock," she said.

The SEC said Sun's activity generated tens of millions of dollars of illegal profit at other investors' expense. "This case demonstrates again the high risk investors face when crypto asset securities are offered and sold without proper disclosure," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement. Andrew Brettler, a lawyer for Lohan, said the actress did not know about the disclosure requirements until last March. The SEC has been ratcheting up efforts to crack down on the crypto industry, which Gensler has called a "Wild West" riddled with misconduct. It said Sun inflated apparent trading volume in TRX through extensive "wash trading," involving simultaneous or near-simultaneous purchases and sales with no real change in ownership.

Credit Suisse declined to comment on the banks' actions. MARKET TROUBLES LINGERBanking stocks globally have been battered since Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, raising questions about other weaknesses in the wider financial system. A view of the Park Avenue location of the First Republic Bank, in New York City, U.S., March 10, 2023. The supervisors were told deposits were stable across the euro zone and exposure to Credit Suisse was immaterial, a source familiar with the meeting's content told Reuters. "Japan's financial system remains stable as a whole," Kishida told a news briefing.

March 17 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank shares came under renewed pressure on Friday despite multibillion-dollar support deals, while a source said European Central Bank supervisors see no contagion for euro zone banks from the turmoil. With investor confidence far from restored, analysts, investors and bankers think the loan facility has only bought Credit Suisse some time to work out what to do next. Meanwhile, U.S. regional bank shares, including PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O), also opened sharply lower, with First Republic down around 25%. But the supervisors were told deposits were stable across the euro zone and exposure to Credit Suisse was immaterial, a source familiar with the meeting's content told Reuters. The ECB pressed forward with a 50 basis-point rate hike, arguing that euro zone banks were in good shape and that if anything, higher rates should bolster their margins.

U.S. Treasury yields extended a slide after data showed March U.S. consumer sentiment fell for the first time in four months. Credit Suisse's chief executive said on Friday the bank was working hard to stem customer outflows, although this could take time. The STOXX 600 (.STOXX) index fell 2.21%, while Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index (.FTEU3) dropped 22.85 points, or 1.31%. The U.S. 2-year Treasury yield , which is sensitive to shifts in interest rate expectations, fell to 3.9835% compared with a previous close of 4.13%. The benchmark German 10-year yield fell to 2.099% versus 2.243% previously .

The rescue package came shortly after embattled Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) tapped an emergency central bank loan of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity. The ECB supervisors saw no contagion to euro zone banks from the market turmoil, a source familiar with the content of the meeting told Reuters, adding that supervisors were told deposits remained stable across euro zone banks and exposure to Credit Suisse was immaterial. "I don't think we are in the crux of a global financial crisis. The ECB pressed forward with its 50 basis point rate hike, arguing that euro zone banks were in good shape and that if anything, higher rates should bolster their margins. Japan's finance ministry, financial regulator and central bank said they would meet on Friday to discuss developments.

March 17 (Reuters) - European Central Bank supervisors met to tackle growing cracks in the banking system on Friday after a $30 billion lifeline for U.S. lender First Republic Bank (FRC.N) eased fears of its imminent collapse. The rescue package came less than a day after Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) clinched an emergency central bank loan of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity. The two deals helped restore some calm to global markets, after a torrid week for banking stocks. "French and European banks are very solid," ECB policymaker and French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau, told BFM business radio. Japan's finance ministry, financial regulator and central bank said they would meet on Friday to discuss developments.

The package came less than a day after Swiss bank Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) clinched an emergency central bank loan of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity. Analysts say authorities appear eager to quickly deal with systemic risks, but worry the potential for a banking crisis is far from over. "Yellen was clear overnight that all bank deposits were protected, but the bank might not be there," he said. Within days, the market turmoil had ensnared Credit Suisse, forcing it to borrow from Switzerland's central bank. Credit Suisse shares closed 19% higher on Thursday, recovering some of their 25% fall on Wednesday.

March 16 (Reuters) - First Republic Bank's (FRC.N) shares fell 17% in extended trading on Thursday, despite an unprecedented show of support in the bank from nearly a dozen of the world's largest financial institutions. The bank's shares, which had closed 10% higher after a volatile day that saw trading halted 17 times, slumped in after-market trading. Jason Ware, chief investment officer for Albion Financial Group, said the Dimon-led banking sector intervention on Thursday was a "shot in the arm of the system" but likely more was needed. A First Republic Bank branch is pictured in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2023. The bank's shares have been hit hard in recent days in the aftermath of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

March 17 (Reuters) - Multi-billion dollar lifelines for troubled U.S. and European banks shored up investor confidence on Friday and bolstered sentiment in battered stocks, although concerns now centre on whether a global financial crisis has been fully averted. The package came less than a day after Swiss bank Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) clinched an emergency central bank loan of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity, which went some way to calming panic about a global banking crisis. "I don't think we are in the crux of a global financial crisis, balance sheets are much better than they were in 2008, banks are better regulated," said Karen Jorritsma, head of Australian equities, RBC Capital Market. Within days, the market turmoil had ensnared Credit Suisse, forcing it to borrow from Switzerland's central bank. Policymakers have tried to emphasise that the current turmoil is different to the global financial crisis 15 years ago as banks are better capitalised and funds more easily available.

A round of financing on Sunday raised through JPMorgan had given First Republic access to $70 billion in funds. First Republic Bank's stock closed up 10% on news of the rescue but its shares fell 18% in after-market trading, after the bank said it would suspend its dividend. [1/2] A person walks past a First Republic Bank branch in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2023. It said it would exercise an option to borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the Swiss National Bank, which confirmed it would provide liquidity to the bank against sufficient collateral. Since March 8, before last week's collapse of SVB, European banks have lost around $165 billion in market value, Refinitiv data shows.

The planned rescue package was discussed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM.N) CEO Jamie Dimon on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. A central player in the deal was Rodgin Cohen, a veteran lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell, two sources familiar with the matter said. A First Republic Bank branch is pictured in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2023. Other lenders including BNY Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist and U.S. Bank channeled $1 billion of deposits into the San Francisco-based lender. Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed was always ready to provide liquidity through its discount window.

☆ US CFTC to give pass over certain swap reporting failures tied to SVB, Signature Bank contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Wednesday said it would give a pass to firms that cannot meet certain swap reporting requirements following the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) and Signature Bank (SBNY.O). The Commission will not launch enforcement actions against any counterparties that cannot meet agency reporting requirements for swaps contracts solely from the FDIC transfers, it said. Those may include business conduct, margin, clearing and trade execution requirements. Firms should "should use best efforts to fulfill their reporting obligations with respect to such swaps," the CFTC said. Reporting by Chris Prentice, Kanishka Singh, Rami Ayyub and Ismail ShakilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

HONG KONG, March 16 (Reuters) - Officials from the U.S. audit watchdog will start a new round of inspections in Hong Kong on Chinese companies' auditors as soon as next week, sources said, as part of a deal with Beijing to prevent delistings of the firms from the New York bourse. That visit came after U.S. and China reached a landmark deal last August to settle a long-running dispute over auditing compliance of U.S.-listed Chinese firms. It also warned that any obstruction of inspection access could affect Chinese firms' listings in the U.S. A mainland branch under KPMG and a Hong Kong branch under PwC were picked by the PCAOB in last year's inspections, the PCAOB said earlier. Reporting by Xie Yu and Selena Li in Hong Kong, additional reporting by Chris Prentice in Washington; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. military conducts first maritime drills with West African forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Cooper Inveen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOGAKOPE, Ghana, March 16 (Reuters) - The West African troops silently pulled their small boats up to a rust-stained ferry and swarmed up its sides on grappling hooks to disarm the mock kidnappers onboard. The drill in Ghana's Volta river on Saturday was carried out during the first ever maritime exercises organised by the U.S. military under its long-running Flintlock programme to bolster the skills of West African forces. Around 350 troops took part in the drills including servicemen from Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria on the Gulf of Guinea. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has spread along West Africa's coasts, sapping an estimated $9.4 billion per year through illicit financial flows, according to a 2022 report by the Financial Transparency Coalition of non-governmental organisations. Of the top 10 companies they found involved in IUU fishing in the region, eight were Chinese and a third of all vessels sported Chinese flags, it said.

Signs of calm and stability in banking stocks, which have tanked in the past week following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), soon paved way for renewed selling as Credit Suisse shares fell to record lows. Reuters GraphicsThe STOXX 600 (.STOXX) index fell 1.67%, while Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index (.FTEU3) fell 51.58 points, or 2.91%Investors rushed back into safe haven investments. "The Credit Suisse share price is falling and government bonds are rallying on the back of that. Markets are "spooked" by Credit Suisse headlines, said Richard McGuire, head of rates strategy at Rabobank in London. "For today Credit Suisse is the dish of the day but we don't think this will be a longer lasting trend," he said.

[1/3] Switzerland's national flag flies above a logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse in front of a branch office in Bern, Switzerland November 29, 2022. Reuters GraphicsThe STOXX 600 (.STOXX) index fell 1.29%, while Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index (.FTEU3) fell 44.48 points, or 2.51%. "The Credit Suisse share price is falling and government bonds are rallying on the back of that. Markets are "spooked" by Credit Suisse headlines, said Richard McGuire, head of rates strategy at Rabobank in London. "For today Credit Suisse is the dish of the day but we don't think this will be a longer lasting trend," he said.

Companies Wells Fargo & Co FollowWASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - The former head of Wells Fargo's retail bank is facing prison time after pleading guilty to obstructing a bank examination in relation to the sweeping phony accounts scandal that roiled the bank in 2016. An attorney for Tolstedt, who ran the bank's retail and small business lending from 2007 to 2016, declined to comment. But, in this case, Ms. Tolstedt took steps to cover up misconduct at Wells Fargo," Joseph McNally, acting U.S. attorney for the central district of California, said in a statement. A spokesperson for Wells Fargo declined to comment. The development marks a rare instance of a senior bank executive facing prison time as a result of their job, but some said it does not go far enough.

[1/5] Guo Wengui (also known as Miles Kwok) holds a news conference with Steve Bannon in New York, New York, U.S., November 20, 2018. Guo, 52, was charged with 11 criminal counts including securities fraud, wire fraud and concealment of money laundering, after "lining his pockets with the money he stole," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan said in a statement. They will propose a "robust bail package," according to Tamara Giwa, a federal public defender who represented Guo at Wednesday's hearing. Bannon is not accused of wrongdoing in Guo's criminal case. It said it also seized assets purchased with proceeds from Guo's alleged fraud, including a Lamborghini Aventador, and wants Guo to forfeit the yacht.

☆ Investors tiptoe back into US bank stocks, regulators probe SVB collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Chris Prentice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

March 14 (Reuters) - Bruised U.S. bank stocks regained some ground on Tuesday, as a sell-off sparked by Silicon Valley Bank's collapse gave way to bargain-hunting by investors hopeful that efforts to shore up confidence would avert a wider financial crisis. The S&P 500 regional banks index (.SPLRCBNKS) rebounded 1.4%, leaving it with a 26% loss over the past five sessions. Investors worry about the health of smaller banks, the prospect of tighter regulation and authorities' preference for protecting depositors before shareholders. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsINVESTIGATIONSAs markets adjusted to the impact of SVB's collapse, regulars turned their focus to the circumstances around the bank's collapse. Officials are also examining stock sales by officers of SVB Financial Group, which owned the bank, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

☆ U.S. prosecutors probing collapse of Silicon Valley Bank -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Al Drago/File PhotoMarch 14 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors are investigating the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, according to a source familiar with the matter, as scrutiny mounts over the firm's sudden collapse and regulators scramble to contain the fallout. The U.S. Justice Department is probing the sudden demise of the bank, which was shuttered on Friday following a bank run, the source said, declining to be named as the inquiry is not public. Spokespeople for the SEC, SVB and the Justice Department declined to comment. The rapid demise of Silicon Valley Bank and the fall of Signature Bank have left regulators racing to contain risks to the rest of the sector. SVB Financial Group and two top executives were sued this week by shareholders, who accused them of concealing how rising interest rates would leave its Silicon Valley Bank unit susceptible to a bank run.

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