(Reuters) -Bank of Montreal has recently launched a process to sell some of its U.S. branches with about $6 billion in deposits, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Canadian lender is weighing a sale of certain locations it wants to exit. BMO has been looking to pull back from states including Wyoming and the Dakotas, according to the report.

In 2023, Bank of Montreal completed the acquisition of BNP Paribas' U.S. unit, Bank of the West, for $16.3 billion in its biggest deal ever, allowing the Canadian lender to double its footprint in the world's biggest economy.

Lenders often sell or close overlapping locations following major acquisitions, as customers increasingly shift to online and mobile banking.

BMO did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

(Reporting by Prakhar Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)