July 22 (Reuters) - U.S. regional lender Synovus

Financial ( SNV ) is exploring options including a potential

merger after drawing takeover interest, Bloomberg News reported

on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Columbus, Georgia-based bank is working with a financial

adviser and has recently held talks with at least one rival, the

report said, adding that deliberations are ongoing and there is

no certainty that Synovus will decide to pursue a deal.

The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request

for comment.

Synovus has a market value of about $7.71 billion, according

to LSEG data. Its shares have gained 15.9% so far this year.

Mergers and acquisitions took a hit in April after President

Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on several

countries, but investor sentiment toward U.S. stocks has

improved since then.

Industry executives are also hopeful that companies will

benefit from lighter regulations under Trump.

Lenders recently performed well at the Federal Reserve's

stress test and showed they have enough capital to withstand

possible adverse scenarios.