Overview
- Citigroup, which Bloomberg reported Friday is evaluating targets, is exploring buying a large U.S. regional bank or a brokerage to grow deposits, branches, and lending.
- Reported discussions have focused on institutions near $500 billion in assets and on brokerages such as Stifel or Raymond James, with the talks described as exploratory.
- Any purchase would need regulator approval because Citi remains under consent orders, which are enforcement agreements that require fixes to risk and control systems before big moves proceed.
- In February 2026, Citi freed about $6.5 billion for expansion after selling its Russian unit to Renaissance Capital and a 49% stake in its Mexican bank Banamex.
- Shares fell about 3.9% to roughly $108 Friday as investors weighed deal uncertainty, while Citi also advances Bitcoin custody, digital wallets, and tests of stablecoins and deposit tokens to speed cross-border payments.