FDIC Auction for Failed SVB Underway, Final Bids Due Sunday

From Matthew Monks, published at Sun Mar 12 2023

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. kicked off an auction process late Saturday for Silicon Valley Bank, with final bids due by Sunday afternoon, according to people familiar with the matter. 

The FDIC is aiming for a swift deal but a winner may not be known until late Sunday, according to one person, who asked to not be identified because the matter isn’t public. No final decision has been made and it’s possible that no deal will be reached, said the people.

Representatives for the FDIC didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours. 

Silicon Valley Bank collapsed into FDIC receivership on Friday, after its long-established customer base of tech startups grew concerned and yanked deposits. At the end of last year, SVB had more than $175 billion in deposits — the vast majority of which are uninsured — and $209 billion in total assets. 

Read more about SBV’s collapse:

The FDIC is now racing to sell assets and make a portion of clients’ uninsured deposits available as soon as Monday, people with knowledge of the situation have said.  The agency has said it will make 100% of protected deposits available on Monday, when Silicon Valley Bank branches reopen. 

— With assistance by Benjamin Bain

(Updates with background)