Republic First Bank U.S. government seizure, Economy FDIC collapse

Republic First Bank seized by regulators after pulling out of import funding discussions, leading to takeover by Fulton Bank. Market impact significant.

The recent seizure of Republic First Bank by U.S. regulators has sent shockwaves through the regional banking sector. The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities made the decision after the bank, headquartered in Philadelphia, backed out of import funding discussions with investors.

In response, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) has appointed Fulton Bank, a unit of Fulton Financial Corp, to take over nearly all deposits and assets of Republic Bank, also known as Republic First. This move comes at a tumultuous time for Republic First, which reported total assets of $6 billion and deposits of $4 billion as of January 31, 2024. The FDIC estimates that the cost to their insurance fund from this failure will be approximately $667 million.

In addition to deposits, Republic First had about $1.3 billion in borrowings and other liabilities. With the acquisition, Fulton Bank will significantly expand its presence in the Philadelphia market, increasing its combined deposits to around $8.6 billion.

Curt Myers, Chairman and CEO of Fulton Bank, expressed excitement about the expansion, stating, "With this transaction, we are thrilled to double our presence across the region." The plan is for Republic Bank's 32 branches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York to reopen under the Fulton Bank banner as soon as Saturday during regular business hours.

Despite previous efforts to stabilize Republic First, including discussions with an investor group that included prominent figures like George Norcross and Philip Norcross, the bank ultimately failed to reach an agreement, leading to the FDIC stepping in to sell the institution.

This development was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Republic Bank had already faced financial challenges, cutting jobs and exiting its mortgage origination business in early 2023. The bank's stock price plummeted from over $2 at the beginning of the year to just 1 cent on Friday, resulting in a market capitalization of less than $2 million after being delisted from Nasdaq.

The collapse of Republic First Bank reflects broader issues affecting regional banks, exacerbated by rising interest rates and declining commercial real estate values. The challenges are particularly pronounced for office buildings, which have seen increased vacancy rates post-pandemic. Loans secured against devalued properties have become harder to refinance, posing significant risks.

This failure marks the first FDIC-insured institution to collapse in the U.S. this year, following the closure of Citizens Bank in Sac City, Iowa, in November. In a strong economy, only four to five bank failures are typically expected each year.

As other banks also grapple with financial pressures, a rescue plan exceeding $1 billion was recently initiated by an investor group, including former U.S. Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, to support New York Community Bancorp in navigating challenges related to a weak commercial real estate sector and the acquisition of a distressed bank.