The Federal Deposit Insurance coverage Company is main an public sale to discover a potential purchaser for Silicon Valley Financial institution after the US authorities mentioned it might assist depositors in its efforts to cease contagion throughout the banking sector.

Preliminary bidding closed at 2pm Japanese Time, in line with individuals acquainted with the matter, though the deadline could possibly be prolonged if mandatory.

The seek for a purchaser comes as Janet Yellen assured US prospects of the failed tech lender, which was taken over by the FDIC on Friday, that insurance policies have been being mentioned to make sure depositors have entry to their funds, regardless of dismissing the concept of a bailout.

“Let me be clear that, in the course of the monetary disaster, there have been buyers and homeowners of systemic massive banks that have been bailed out . . . and the reforms which have been put in place means we’re not going to try this once more,” Yellen mentioned on Face the Nation. “However we’re involved about depositors, and we’re targeted on making an attempt to fulfill their wants.”

The FDIC has beforehand mentioned SVB prospects whose accounts have been insured may have entry to their funds on Monday. Nonetheless, many of the lender’s buyer are uninsured, prompting some this weekend to hurry to promote their deposits to pay salaries and different working bills. On the finish of final yr, nearly 96 per cent weren’t lined by the FDIC insurance coverage coverage, which ensures deposits as much as $250,000. The FDIC mentioned it might pay uninsured prospects an “advance dividend” throughout the week which might be a share of their deposits.

Yellen’s intervention comes amid calls from buyers, entrepreneurs and a few lawmakers for the federal government to step in additional forcefully to make sure all depositors are made entire, or threat different banks coming underneath strain as prospects rush to stash money in bigger establishments.

“We should ensure all deposits exceeding the FDIC $250K restrict are honoured. Banking is about confidence,” Eric Swalwell, a Democratic congressman from California wrote on Twitter. “If depositors lose confidence on the protection of their deposits over 250k then we’re in hassle.”

Mitt Romney, the Republican senator from Utah, mentioned depositors ought to “get better and have entry to their deposits as a way to meet their payrolls, pay their suppliers, and to forestall contagion”.

Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur and former Democratic presidential candidate, warned that “1000’s of corporations will fold or lay individuals off subsequent week due to lack of entry to accounts via no fault of their very own”, imploring the Treasury or the state of California to intervene.

Billionaire hedge fund investor Invoice Ackman issued one of the crucial pressing calls on Saturday, warning of a run on all however the greatest banks ought to the federal government cease in need of guaranteeing all of SVB’s deposits or ought to the lender not be acquired by JPMorgan, Citigroup or Financial institution of America.

“The unintended penalties of the [government’s] failure to ensure SVB deposits are huge and profound and should be thought-about and addressed earlier than Monday. In any other case, be careful under,” he wrote on Twitter.

Different lawmakers voiced their opposition to a bailout, nevertheless, suggesting little consensus concerning the path ahead.

Talking on Meet the Press on Sunday, senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat, mentioned: “I’m not prepared to supply them a bailout by any stretch of the creativeness.”

Mark Warner, the Democratic senator from Virginia, in the meantime, mentioned that questions on “ethical hazard” additionally have to be thought-about.

The Treasury secretary on Sunday mentioned she had been “working all weekend” with banking regulators to “design applicable insurance policies to deal with this case”, including that the FDIC was contemplating a “wide selection of obtainable choices”, which included acquisitions.

Requested concerning the potential for broad-based contagion, Yellen affirmed that the banking system was “actually protected and well-capitalised”, in addition to “resilient”.

“People have to really feel assured that the banking system is protected and sound, that it may possibly meet the credit score wants of households and companies, and that depositors don’t have to fret about dropping entry to their cash,” she mentioned.