When it comes to TARP repayment, Bank of America and Citigroup have generated lots of headlines. But Wells Fargo, which people generally have stereotyped as being in better shape, has not paid back its TARP funds, either.

One columnist argues that the bank was ultimately a victim of a poor deal, not unlike Bank of America. Felix Salmon says that because Wachovia had a deal with Citigroup already in place, "Wells had to essentially outbid Citi or Wachovia, and is now suffering from the winner's curse."

Another issue is that, with the acquisition, "Wells Fargo is now far too big--it has an astonishing $711 billion in U.S. deposits, 11 percent of the total domestic deposit base--and as a result it will be under intense regulatory scrutiny." Wells Fargo has said it aims to repay its TARP funds soon--without an issuance of stock, but there's no timeline as of yet.     

For more:
- here's the column

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