Wells Fargo CEO Says Regulators Acted Correctly in Bank Failures

Wells Fargo & Co. Chief Executive Officer Charlie Scharf said US banks such as his shouldn’t be required to “unconditionally” cover the failures of other financial institutions.

(Bloomberg) — Wells Fargo & Co. Chief Executive Officer Charlie Scharf said US banks such as his shouldn’t be required to “unconditionally” cover the failures of other financial institutions.

Regulators functioned as they were supposed to as three banks — Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and, most recently, First Republic Bank — failed over the past two months, Scharf said Tuesday during a panel discussion at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. stepped in when required, he said.

Scharf’s remarks come a day after JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to acquire First Republic in a government-led deal for the failed lender, putting to rest one of the biggest troubled banks remaining after turmoil engulfed the industry in March. Wells Fargo was one 11 banks that had tried to keep First Republic afloat by pledging $30 billion of fresh deposits on March 16, with Scharf’s company kicking in $5 billion.

The majority of banks that Wells Fargo is monitoring at the moment are “strong,” Scharf said.

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