A Mammoth return on first republic’s demise has been made by hedge funds, profits that have been boosted by booking $5.3bn in mark-to-market profits after short-selling the shares of other regional lenders including Bank OZK, Western Alliance and Zions Bancorp. Concerns are rising over how might new regulations and limited lending capacity will affect the economy. JP Morgan’s purchase of First Republic could give the banking giant a new crop of affluent clients and expand its wealth-management business.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has urged Congress to broaden the range of deposits it insures to help prevent future bank runs, while other lawmakers, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, have called for tighter oversight of banks. Although some feel that the latest crisis involving regional banks may be significant for the Federal Reserve. This sentiment comes as a slowing economy and banks’ fragility could affect the Fed’s decisions, and Aichi Amemiya, U.S. economist at Nomura, predicts that an increase on Wednesday would be the last hike in its current tightening cycle.