A bidding war is underway for the world's oldest bank

Rome — A bidding war is underway for the world's oldest bank, Italy's Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS). Founded in 1472 by the Republic of Siena to provide credit to poorer citizens, the Tuscan lender has evolved over more than five centuries into one of Italy's largest banking institutions and a cornerstone of the country's financial system. Two rival suitors emerged within about 24 hours. On Monday, Italy's largest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, launched an unsolicited 31 billion euro (about $36 billion) bid for MPS. The offer came just one day after Banco BPM, Italy's third-largest bank by assets, proposed what it described as a "merger of equals." Intesa said its proposal would create the second-largest banking group in the European Union's common currency eurozone, behind Spain's Banco Santander. A Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA bank branch in Rome, Italy, is seen in a Feb. 5, 2026 file photo. Matteo Bastianelli/Bloomberg/Getty While Banco BPM did not disclose the financial terms of its offer, it said the combined group would have a market capitalization of around 50 billion euros ($58 billion), creating Italy's second-largest lender. Banco BPM's approach has garnered both political and financial scrutiny. The bank's largest shareholder is French banking giant Crédit Agricole, which owns roughly 20% of BPM. …