First Republic Bank to weigh up to US$100 billion in asset sales
BNN Bloomberg
First Republic Bank is exploring divesting US$50 billion to $100 billion of long-dated securities and mortgages as part of a broader rescue plan, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Any sales would help reduce the bank’s asset-liability mismatch, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. Potential buyers, including large U.S. banks, could potentially receive warrants or preferred equity as an incentive to buy assets above their market value, one of the people said.
The lender is trying to shore up its balance sheet to avoid being seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and clear the path for a possible capital raise, the person said. It may need the U.S. government to facilitate negotiations with some of the country’s largest banks to stabilize the lender as it executes its turnaround, the person added. That would be a much cheaper alternative than a failure of the company.
A spokesman for the San Francisco-based firm declined to comment.
Daily oil exports from the Middle Eastern Gulf, home to top exporter Saudi Arabia and other major producers, have dropped by at least 60 per cent in the week to March 15 compared to February due to disruptions and output cuts amid the U.S.-Iran war, according to shipping data and Reuters calculations.
Larry Berman says he can see a day in 2027 when the top 10 stocks in the S&P 500 are 50 per cent of the index similar to the Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (QQQ) today that seem destined to move significantly higher.
Top Picks from Teal Linde, Manager, Linde Equity Fund
Member countries of the International Energy Agency could release more oil into the market later “as and if needed” after they have already agreed the largest-ever reserve release, Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Monday.
Oil prices are down, and stocks are up Monday, though such moves have been quick to reverse since the war in Iran began.
Statistics Canada says the annual rate of inflation dipped below two per cent in February as the end of last year’s federal “tax holiday” helped take some steam out of the yearly price comparisons.
Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and state-backed companies are unlikely to scale back renewable energy investments in Africa despite disruptions from the Iran war, analysts say, given the strong long-term economic and strategic reasons driving such funding.
Crude oil stayed above US$100 a barrel on Monday and Gulf countries reported more attacks by Iran as the war entered its third week, while share prices were mixed.
Representatives from Beijing and Washington began their economic and trade talks in Paris on Sunday, Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported.
The impact of the Iran war on fuel prices in Canada may encourage more drivers to go electric, some experts say, but others warn the conflict will drive up prices of "pretty much everything."
The U.S. is temporarily easing some sanctions on Russian oil shipments, reflecting global concerns over sharply higher crude prices due to supply shortages stemming from the Iran war.
The Trump administration this week stepped up its ambitious effort to replace about US$1.6 trillion in lost tariff revenue that was eliminated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a range of the president’s import taxes.