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First Republic Bank, which was downgraded to junk by S&P and Fitch, is looking at a possible sale: Bloomberg

first republic bank
Shares of First Republic Bank are down 74% so far this year. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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First Republic Bank is considering various options, including a sale, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The bank is expected to attract interest from larger lenders if it goes on sale, per Bloomberg. The San Francisco-based lender is also looking at options to boost liquidity, per the news outlet. 

Ratings agencies S&P Global and Fitch had cut First Republic's credit rating to junk status earlier on Wednesday due to concerns that depositors could pull funds from the lender.

First Republic has been assuring customers of its liquidity since the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank — which in turn triggered concerns about the financial health of regional banks.

On Sunday, First Republic said it was getting $70 billion of additional funding from the Federal Reserve and JPMorgan Chase after its share price slumped sharply amid Silicon Valley Bank's implosion.

"We believe the risk of deposit outflows is elevated at First Republic Bank despite the actions of federal banking regulators and the bank actively increasing its borrowing availability to mitigate risk associated with the bank failures over the last week," wrote S&P Global Ratings analysts Nicholas Wetzel and Rian Pressman

First Republic's share price closed 21.4% lower at $ 31.16 apiece on Wednesday. They are down 74% so far this year.

First Republic Bank did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Watch: Why Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, and why it matters

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Huileng Tan
Huileng Tan
Huileng Tan is a senior reporter based in Singapore, covering markets, the global economy, commodities, and investing. Her reporting focuses on how shifts in money, demographics, technology, and policy are reshaping businesses, wealth, and everyday life around the world.Since joining Business Insider in 2021, she has covered everything from commodity booms and investor trends to China's economy, the AI trade, and the forces driving global markets.Before joining Business Insider, she reported for CNBC, Dow Jones, ICIS, and The Wall Street Journal.Reach her at htan@jkmperu.com.