Company Description
First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA) is a financial holding company in the commercial banking industry and the parent of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, commonly known as First Citizens Bank. According to company disclosures, First Citizens BancShares is a top 20 U.S. financial institution by assets and a member of the Fortune 500. The organization operates within the finance and insurance sector, with a focus on traditional and specialized banking services delivered through its banking subsidiaries and divisions.
First Citizens Bank is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Across multiple company descriptions in recent news releases, the bank highlights a legacy of strength, stability and long-term thinking that has spanned generations. It serves personal, business, commercial and wealth clients, with an emphasis on helping customers build financial strength that lasts. The bank offers an array of general banking services and maintains a network of branches and offices across numerous U.S. states, along with a nationwide direct bank.
Core Banking and Customer Segments
Based on its own descriptions, First Citizens Bank focuses on several key client groups:
- Personal clients – Individuals using general banking services and direct banking channels.
- Business and commercial clients – Companies seeking lending, leasing and other financial services.
- Wealth clients – Customers who use wealth-related banking services.
- Innovation-focused clients – Businesses at various growth stages served through the bank’s innovation banking activities.
The bank describes its commercial banking capabilities as delivering lending, leasing and other financial services across the United States. It also notes that it operates a nationwide direct bank, reflecting a strategy that combines physical locations with digital access for deposit and related services.
Business Lines and Specialized Divisions
First Citizens BancShares reports that First Citizens Bank offers general banking services through a network of more than 500 branches and offices in multiple states in some of its disclosures, and in other disclosures describes branches and offices nationwide. While the exact branch count and state coverage can vary by document, the consistent theme is a broad physical footprint complemented by national platforms.
The company highlights several notable business lines and specialized units:
- Commercial banking – Provides lending, leasing and other financial services for business and institutional clients across the country.
- Innovation banking – Serves businesses at every stage, indicating a focus on growth-oriented companies.
- Energy Finance – A specialized unit within First Citizens Bank that arranges financing for energy sector projects. In a recent transaction, First Citizens Bank’s Energy Finance business served as lead arranger on financing for renewable energy projects developed by Linea Energy LLC, and has also participated in facilities supporting community solar and other clean energy initiatives.
- Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank – SVB is described as providing commercial banking to companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital industries. It operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States and positions itself as the bank of some of the world’s most innovative companies and investors.
- SVB Wine Division – A specialized group within Silicon Valley Bank that focuses on commercial banking for premium wineries, vineyards and related industries. The division has a long history of publishing detailed reports on the U.S. wine industry and maintains offices in key wine-producing regions.
- CIT Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank – Described as an FDIC-insured, top-10 online bank that focuses on high-yield savings products and tools to help customers pursue specific savings goals. CIT Bank emphasizes features such as savings buckets and automated savings tools.
Through these divisions and business units, First Citizens BancShares participates in a range of commercial banking activities, from middle market banking in regional hubs to sector-focused lending in energy, healthcare, technology and wine industry segments.
Capital Markets and Funding Activities
First Citizens BancShares uses capital markets instruments and preferred equity as part of its funding and capital structure, as reflected in its SEC filings. The company’s Class A common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol FCNCA. In addition, various series of preferred stock and related depositary shares are listed on the same exchange under symbols such as FCNCP and FCNCO, as disclosed in multiple Form 8-K filings.
In an 8-K dated September 5, 2025, the company reported issuing and selling subordinated notes due 2035 in a public offering under an effective shelf registration statement. Another 8-K dated November 18, 2025 describes the establishment of a new series of preferred stock, the 7.000% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series D, and the related issuance of depositary shares. These filings outline how the company supplements its capital base and manages its long-term funding profile.
Branch Acquisitions and Geographic Expansion
First Citizens BancShares has used acquisitions to expand its banking footprint. In an 8-K dated October 16, 2025, the company disclosed that First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company entered into an agreement to acquire 138 branches from BMO Bank N.A. located across the Midwest, Great Plains and West regions of the United States. In connection with this branch acquisition, First Citizens Bank agreed to assume deposit liabilities and acquire loans associated with the branches, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
In addition to branch acquisitions, First Citizens Bank’s middle market banking practice has been active in the Northeast region, with leadership appointments aimed at expanding business in markets such as Boston and New York. The bank’s own descriptions emphasize growth in its Business, Commercial and Wealth presence in the Northeast and a focus on delivering a client-centric banking experience to middle market customers.
Sector-Focused Banking and Research
Through Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, the organization produces sector-specific research and market reports. For example, SVB’s Wine Division publishes an annual State of the U.S. Wine Industry report that analyzes trends in the premium wine sector, including sales, demand patterns and inventory dynamics. SVB also releases a Healthcare Investments and Exits report that examines venture capital activity, investment levels and deal structures in healthcare, including AI-related healthcare investments.
These reports, as described in recent news releases, combine data analysis with commentary from SVB’s sector specialists. The research activity underscores First Citizens Bank’s role in serving innovation-driven industries and providing insights to clients and market participants in specialized sectors such as wine and healthcare.
Digital and Direct Banking
First Citizens Bank notes that it operates a nationwide direct bank, which allows customers to access deposit and related services without relying solely on physical branches. CIT Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, is highlighted as an online bank that offers high-yield savings accounts and tools designed to help customers organize savings by goal. Features described in recent communications include the ability to create savings buckets within an account and automated savings tools that move funds from checking to savings based on user preferences.
These capabilities demonstrate how First Citizens BancShares combines traditional branch-based banking with digital platforms to reach customers across the United States and support different saving and spending behaviors.
Risk Management and Governance
First Citizens BancShares’ SEC filings and news releases provide insight into its governance and risk management framework. The company has a Chief Risk Officer responsible for leading the risk management organization, including oversight of financial, credit, enterprise, operational and compliance risk. Board-level committees, such as the Risk Committee and Technology Committee, are involved in oversight of risk and technology-related matters.
The company’s 8-K filings also describe actions such as share repurchase authorizations approved by the Board of Directors. For example, an 8-K dated July 25, 2025 reports that the Board authorized a share repurchase program allowing repurchases of Class A common stock up to a specified aggregate amount through a defined period, with flexibility regarding timing and method of repurchases.
Regulatory Filings and Investor Communications
First Citizens BancShares files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Several 8-K filings reference the company’s practice of announcing quarterly financial results via press releases and investor presentations, followed by conference calls and webcasts. These materials are made available through the company’s investor relations channels, as noted in the filings.
In addition to financial reporting, the company uses 8-K filings to document capital markets transactions, preferred stock designations, debt offerings and significant business developments such as branch acquisitions. This regulatory disclosure framework provides investors with information on the company’s capital structure, strategic actions and governance decisions.
Position Within the U.S. Banking Landscape
Across multiple news releases, First Citizens BancShares describes itself as a top 20 U.S. financial institution by assets and a member of the Fortune 500, underscoring its scale within the commercial banking sector. Its operations span general retail and commercial banking, specialized sector lending, innovation banking and online savings platforms.
By combining a nationwide branch and office network, a direct bank, sector-focused divisions such as Silicon Valley Bank and the SVB Wine Division, and specialized units like Energy Finance, First Citizens BancShares participates in a wide range of banking activities. Its disclosures emphasize long-term thinking, risk governance and diversified business lines as key elements of its approach to serving clients and managing the organization.