Regulators late Friday seized Republic First Bancorp, a troubled Philadelphia lender, within the first U.S. financial institution failure this yr.
Republic First Bancorp, referred to as Republic Financial institution, had about $4 billion in deposits on the finish of January and property price $6 billion, the Federal Deposit Insurance coverage Company mentioned in an announcement.
“Considerably all” of its deposits will probably be assumed by Fulton Financial institution of Lancaster, Pa., the F.D.I.C. mentioned, with Republic First’s 32 branches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York reopening as quickly as Saturday as Fulton Financial institution branches.
Based in 1988, Republic First was smaller than the midsize banks that collapsed final yr — together with First Republic Financial institution and Silicon Valley Financial institution, whose property every topped $200 billion. The F.D.I.C. expects the associated fee to the Deposit Insurance coverage Fund to be $667 million.
The failure comes amid persevering with concern concerning the well being of regional banks. In a presentation for buyers in July, Republic First mentioned that deposits had been declining and that the financial institution’s mortgage lending enterprise had turn into much less invaluable as rates of interest elevated.
It had deliberate to exit the mortgage enterprise and refocus on shopper deposits. It was delisted by Nasdaq in August, after it didn’t file its annual report with the Securities and Alternate Fee, and an anticipated $35 million funding within the financial institution was scuttled this yr, as reported by Banking Dive.
Feddie Strickland, a financial institution analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott, mentioned that Republic First’s failure was more likely to be an remoted incident and that the general banking sector is secure.
“I believe small banks are in fine condition,” Mr. Strickland mentioned. “A number of the failures we noticed final yr had been actually banks with a sure specialization. I believe there’s an significance of being diversified.”
Mr. Strickland known as Fulton, which is taking up Republic First’s deposits, “a boring financial institution in one of the best ways,” calling the industrial financial institution “cautious” and “good operators.”
“Depositors ought to really feel secure with Fulton,” he added.
Maureen Farrell contributed reporting.