NEW YORK (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is preparing to place First Republic Bank under receivership imminently, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, sending shares of the lender down nearly 50% in extended trading.

First Republic Bank shares plunged after a CNBC report that the lender was likely headed for receivership under the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), worsening a rout that has wiped out 75% of the stock's value this week.

The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is preparing to place First Republic under receivership imminently, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, sending shares of the lender down more than 40% in extended trading.

While the spectacle of SpaceX's new Starship rocket blowing up over the Gulf of Mexico riveted the public's attention, it was the explosive nature of the launch at ground level that was drawing heightened scrutiny from the government this week.

Shares of First Republic Bank plunged to a record low on Friday, losing nearly half of their value after a CNBC report said the troubled lender was most likely headed for receivership under the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).