US BANK ROUT PROMPTS DEAL SPECULATION AS CREDIT WORRIES LOOM

Jitters around U.S. banks' exposure to loan losses have fueled expectations for more mergers and acquisitions as big buyers may be spurred to look to absorb smaller or weaker rivals, according to four senior industry sources.

More than two years after the sudden failure of Silicon Valley Bank that destabilized the industry, auto company collapses and bad loans have hurt bank stocks in recent weeks and sparked concerns that more pain is on the horizon. The U.S. KBW Regional Banking Index sank more than 6% on Thursday before recovering some ground on Friday. It has fallen almost 5% this year.

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