PacWest shares crumble as Wall Street shuns midsize banks
[ad_1]
In what is by now a familiar pattern, the fate of another regional lender hangs in the balance as investors bail from the sector following the sudden collapse of three prominent banks in a matter of weeks. Shares of PacWest Bancorp crumbled after the close of trading on Wednesday, diving 55% to $2.88 amid a report by Bloomberg News that the $44 billion bank is weighing its strategic options, including a possible sale. The market drop followed a 28% plunge in Los Angeles-based PacWest's stock price the previous day. PacWest, whose shares are down 78% over the last three months, has hired a financial adviser and is also considering a breakup or trying to raise capital, according to Bloomberg. Wall Street has grown increasingly wary of midsize lenders since the March 10 collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the failure only days later of Signature Bank after depositors rushed to withdraw their money. As investors soured