Silicon Valley Bank shares took another beating early Friday before being halted for trading pending news.
Speculation is mounting the bank, which caters to the venture capital community, is facing a liquidity crisis after announcing plans for a $1.25 billion stock sale. CNBC reported the bank is looking for a potential buyer.
The stock has lost over 60% of its value this week alone.
Billionaire hedge fund manager, Bill Ackman, floated the idea of a government bailout for the bank in a tweet saying The failure of of SVB could destroy an important long-term driver of the economy as VC-backed companies rely on SVB for loans and holding their operating cash. If private capital can’t provide a solution, a highly dilutive gov’t preferred bailout should be considered…"
Jitters spilled into cryptocurrency, Bitcoin fell to the $20,000 level as investors continue to shed risky assets.
Earlier this week the bank disclosed mounting losses.
"While VC deployment has tracked our expectations, client cash burn has remained elevated and increased further in February, resulting in lower deposits than forecasted. The related shift in our funding mix to more, higher-cost deposits and short-term borrowings, coupled with higher interest rates, continues to pressure NII and NIM," CEO Greg Becker wrote in a letter to investors.
Becker, on a call Thursday, reportedly told the venture capital community to "stay calm" The Information reported. FOX Business’ inquires to SVB were not immediately returned.
The move comes after Silvergate Capital, heavily exposed to digital assets, announced plans to liquidate.
SILVERGATE ANNOUNCES PLANS TO WIND DOWN
JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Citigroup fell in sympathy wiping out over $60 billion in market value, including SVB, as tracked by Dow Jones Market Data Group. Thursday was the worst day for bank stocks since 2020 which fell as a group by over 4%.
Silvergate shares have lost 84% of their value this year.
BITCOIN SLIDES ON SILVERGATE FALLOUT
In Wednesday's announcement the company stated: "In light of recent industry and regulatory developments, Silvergate believes that an orderly wind down of bank operations and a voluntary liquidation of the bank is the best path forward. The Bank’s wind down and liquidation plan includes full repayment of all deposits. The Company is also considering how best to resolve claims and preserve the residual value of its assets, including its proprietary technology and tax assets."
SAM BANKMAN-FRIED HIT WITH FRESH INDICTMENT, MORE CHARGES
The implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX continues to send ripples through the crypto industry and firms with exposure. SBF is currently under house arrest awaiting trial for fraud and money laundering with billions of customer funds unaccounted for.
