US BANK: Wells Fargo fails US bankruptcy test for a second time

US bank Wells Fargo has been hit with restrictions after attempts to fix issues with its bankruptcy plan failed.

Banks labelled "too big to fail" must have a so-called "living will" that would allow them to close down without the help of public money.

Wells Fargo will be barred from opening international branches and buying non-bank companies until it satisfies the regulators.

The bank said it was "disappointed" with the regulators' decision.

The Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said that Bank of America, Bank of New York Mellon, JP Morgan Chase, and State Street, whose living wills were also deemed deficient in April, had now adequately addressed their shortcomings. But Wells Fargo had failed to do so.

The Fed and FDIC said the bank had failed to adequately address two of the three big concerns they had identified.

It now has until the end of March to submit another revised plan to fix the failings.

"We believe we will be able to address the concerns raised today in the March 2017 revised submission," Wells Fargo said in a statement.

The issue is the latest blow for the bank which in September was fined $185m for illegally opening accounts to boost sales targets.

In October, Wells Fargo's chief executive, John Stumpf, abruptly resigned in the wake of the scandal over its sales practices.