Republic First is not First Republic, other examples of mistaken identity (NASDAQ:FRBK)

Republic First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FRBK) is having a little bit of an identification disaster; its title is uncomfortably just like First Republic Financial institution (NYSE:FRC), which was the topic of a megabank rescue earlier this month.

To deal with the confusion between the 2 names Republic First (FRBK) CEO Thomas X. Geisel plastered a purple banner throughout the corporate web site’s house web page: “Republic Financial institution is conscious of latest information concerning the collapse of two main U.S. banks, and wish to guarantee our prospects that we stay in a secure and safe surroundings.”

“We’re Republic Financial institution Inc. (FRBK-Purple/Blue Emblem); we’re NOT First Republic Financial institution (FRC-Inexperienced Emblem),” Geisel harassed.

Up to now month, San Francisco-based First Republic Financial institution (FRC) shares plummeted 89%. It serves shoppers just like these of Silicon Valley Financial institution, which was shuttered on March 10 when its enterprise capital-backed prospects rushed to withdraw deposits in a social media-driven panic. With depositors at First Republic (FRC) additionally nervous, a bunch of 11 of the nation’s largest banks got here to its rescue by depositing a complete of $30B into First Republic accounts.

In his message on the FRBK web site, Geisel mentioned there are essential variations between his financial institution and First Republic (FRC). “We DO NOT lend to start-ups and aren’t concerned in Crypto. We lend primarily to established companies. We lend in opposition to collateral and money circulate, we lend to worthwhile firms that may service the debt, and we usually have private ensures,” he wrote.

To make sure FRBK’s inventory worth, down 30% up to now month, hasn’t dropped as a lot as FRC’s, but it surely has underperformed the KBW Nasdaq Financial institution Index (BKX), which fell 25%.

However Republic First (FRBK) isn’t the primary, and positively will not be the final, to get caught up in confusion concerning similar-sounding names or ticker symbols. Listed below are a number of over the past 20 years:

• Amid the crypto frenzy in 2021, Ethan Allen’s (ETD) ticker, “ETH” on the time, was usually confused for Ethereum (ETH-USD). The furnishings retailer modified its buying and selling image to “ETD” in August of that yr.
• In February 202, Clubhouse Media Group (OTCPK:CMGR) inventory surged on some traders’ mistaken perception that it was associated to the Clubhouse audo app. Clubhouse Media (OTCPK:CMGR), previously often called Tongji Healthcare Group, is within the social media branding marketspace.
• Sign Advance (OTCPK:SIGL) inventory greater than quintupled on Jan. 11, 2021 after Elon Musk urged his Twitter followers to make use of Sign, a safe messaging service that is unrelated to SIGL.
• In July 2020, Tiziana Life Sciences (TLSA), a scientific biotech firm, noticed its inventory drop 14%, seemingly as traders realized they hadn’t purchased Tesla (TSLA) shares. It was thought that Robinhood customers have been mistyping the TSLA ticker.
• When videoconferencing surged in 2020 attributable to COVID-19, Zoom Video Communications (ZM) noticed its enterprise soar. However buying and selling additionally surged in Zoom Applied sciences (ZOOM), a largely defunct agency that after distributed wi-fi merchandise and modems. On Feb. 27, ZOOM had rocketed up 52%. The confusion was so widespread that the SEC had suspended buying and selling in ZOOM from March 26, 2020 by means of April 8, 2020.
• In 2018, nanocap agency Snap Interactive, then with a ticker of “STVI” rebranded as PeerStream to scale back confusion with social media platform Snap (SNAP). Snap Interactive had sued Snap for trademark infringement, however the two had settled the matter out of court docket over a yr earlier.
• Again in 2013, some traders confused Twitter, then with the ticker “TWTR”, with Tweeter Dwelling Leisure (OTC:TWTRQ).