First Republic Bank shares swung wildly Thursday, whipsawing investors as larger banks sought to stem tumult by agreeing to add $30 billion of deposits to the lender.
(Bloomberg) — First Republic Bank shares swung wildly Thursday, whipsawing investors as larger banks sought to stem tumult by agreeing to add $30 billion of deposits to the lender.
The volatility continued in post-market trading after First Republic suspended its dividend payments and said it will focus on reducing its borrowings. The stock sank as much as 29% after closing with a 10% gain amid record daily trading volume, as nearly a dozen larger banks banded together in a show of support for the beleaguered firm.
“With the new funds being added at market rates, we expect earnings will be revised notably downward for the coming quarters,” Andrew Liesch, an analyst at Piper Sandler who holds a neutral rating on First Republic, wrote in a note. “We think this will serve as a headwind to the stock in the near-term, as much of the bank’s earning assets are tied to fixed rates and have below-market yields with limited repricing benefits on the horizon.”
Thursday’s jump made First Republic one of the top performers in the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF during regular hours. Among other top gainers was Western Alliance Bancorp,, which also reversed earlier declines to close higher by 14%.
“This show of support by a group of large banks is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system,” said a joint statement by the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Department of the Treasury.
First Republic specializes in private banking and wealth management, and has tried to differentiate itself from Silicon Valley Bank. Investors across the banking space are on tenterhooks amid the upheaval in US regional lenders as well as the tumult surrounding Credit Suisse Group AG.
–With assistance from Maxwell Zeff.
(Updates with details in second paragraph.)
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