Highlights
Banking regulators decided Friday afternoon First Republic Bank cannot be saved; there is no more time to pursue a rescue through the private sector. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said it was preparing to place First Republic Bank under receivership.
Saturday morning, FDIC asked banks for their best and final offers by this afternoon to take over First Republic Bank. JP Morgan and PNC are the most likely bidders. Several other banks, including Bank of America, are reportedly interested. Late Saturday, the FCIC asked U.S. Bancorp to submit a bid. The winning bidder will take control after FDIC seizes First Republic, which could come as soon as this afternoon. This will be the third US bank to collapse since March 10th. First Republic had more than $100 million of its deposits withdrawn in the first quarter. It is headquartered in San Francisco.
Winter low for most CBOT commodities was made March 10th, the day that Silicon Valley Bank was shut-down. Early last week, we reported our long-range technician, Alan Bonifas, said all commodities would exceed the March 10th lows. May and July beans have not yet; May corn has not, July corn has; all the wheats have exceeded the March lows as have May, July and September meal and May and July bean oil. Maybe the collapse of the First Republic Bank is already priced in. Certainly, regulators want to get the First Republic Bank problem settled before the market opens this evening, but will they? We will find out both answers this evening.