NEW YORK - CITIGROUP Inc may need to generate up to US$10 billion (S$14.8 billion) in new capital to meet the requirements of the US government's stress tests, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website on Friday, Like other financial institutions, the bank is in talks with the Federal Reserve about whether it needs more capital, the Journal said, citing unnamed sources.

Citigroup may need less if regulators accept its arguments about its financial health. In a best-case scenario, Citigroup could have a roughly US$500 million cushion above what the government requires, the paper reported.

WASHINGTON - US regulators seized Silverton Bank of Atlanta on Friday, a bank that provided services to other banks and the biggest bank failure so far this year, but officials said the impact would be minimal.

Silverton had about 1,400 client banks in 44 states and provided services that included credit card operations, clearing accounts and trading of loans, including the real estate loans that were its undoing.

NEW YORK - WALL Street stocks wobbled higher Friday as investors digested mixed economic data and braced for the results next week of 'stress tests' on the US banking system.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 44.29 points (0.54 per cent) to finish at 8,212.41.