Western Alliance Bancorp. (WAL) has bounced back from a drubbing in the past three sessions, with shares surging by 38.8% in morning trading on Tuesday, following the disclosure by Citadel Advisors LLC that it had acquired a 5.3% stake in the Arizona-based regional bank.
Hedge fund Citadel filed a 13G with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, stating it owned 5.78 million shares in Western Alliance, a considerable increase from the 1.31 million shares it owned at the end of 2022. According to FactSet data, Citadel is now Western Alliance’s fifth-largest shareholder.
Before this announcement, the stock had suffered a plunge, but Citadel’s involvement is seen as a vote of confidence in the bank.
Western Alliance Bancorp.
Headquartered in Phoenix, Western Alliance Bancorp is a publicly traded financial services company that provides deposit, lending, treasury management, international banking and online banking services. The company has $70.8 billion in assets, making it one of the most significant regional banks in the United States.
Its subsidiary banks include Bank of Nevada, Bridge Bank, First Independent Bank, and Torrey Pines Bank. These banks serve clients in 50 states and more than 40 countries worldwide.
Citadel Advisors LLC
Citadel Advisors LLC is an American hedge fund firm founded in 1990 by Kenneth Griffin. With over $30 billion in assets under management, Citadel is one of the largest hedge funds globally. It currently operates in New York, Chicago, London, Hong Kong, and San Francisco, with more than 3,000 employees worldwide.
Citadel focuses on developing quantitative and fundamental trading strategies across all major asset classes spanning the globe’s capital markets.
Citadel’s 13G filing with the SEC showed it held just over 5.78 million shares in Western Alliance Bancorp. This burgeoning investment may indicate a larger push by Citadel to ramp up its holdings in regional US banks.
The Citadel Effect
The announcement of Citadel’s increased stake in Western Alliance Bancorp has already had a significant impact on the bank’s stock price. It rose by 38.8% on Tuesday morning’s trading, reversing its earlier losses from the past three sessions.
Citadel’s investment has been seen by many as a publicity boost for Western Alliance Bancorp. The hedge fund’s involvement is likely to draw attention from other institutional investors, particularly those with a focus on banking stocks in the US regional market.
The move by Citadel can also be viewed as a signal that institutional investors believe there is room for continued growth in regional US banks. This caters to shareholders who maintain a bullish view on financial stocks and may prompt further investment.
The bigger picture
The increased investment by Citadel in Western Alliance Bancorp aligns with the trend seen across the US banking sector. After a strong performance in 2021, many banking stocks have witnessed a sustained rally into 2022. This has been driven by a robust US economic recovery and relatively high interest rates.
Regional banks like Western Alliance have been major beneficiaries of this trend because of their pure-play focus on specific geographic areas. Many of these banks have also been consolidating and making acquisitions to capture market share and accelerate growth.
Analysts believe that the trend of consolidating regional banks will likely continue for the next few years since it is seen as a vital strategy to remain competitive. The sector also seems ripe for further merger and acquisition activity, as larger banks, like JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, look to expand their reach beyond metropolitan areas.
Looking ahead, many industry experts expect that the growth in the US banking sector will continue throughout 2022, though with a moderated intensity. They argue that the recent market turbulence and uncertainty may pose short-term challenges, but the underlying fundamentals remain robust.
In conclusion, the increased investment in Western Alliance Bancorp by Citadel Advisors LLC is just one example of how the US banking sector is thriving. Although fluctuations in market conditions will continue to occur, as investors remain bullish about the prospect of continued growth, we can expect to see more and more investment in regional banks like Western Alliance.
