Citigroup and Wells Fargo & Co., the major US banks, want to reduce the Government's influence in their work, and to meet the same end, both have repaid a total of $45 billion to the United States, injected into them as a federal stimulus.

Wells Fargo repaid $25 billion and Citi repaid $20 billion. The two banks were the only two major banks left in TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program). Most of the other banks have already paid their out standings, excluding PNC Financial Services Group Inc. and SunTrust Banks Inc.

While repaying the debt, Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit said, “We owe the American taxpayers a debt of gratitude”.

For repaying this amount Wells Fargo sold $12.25 billion in stock. Citigroup, which had received $45 billion under the US Troubled Asset Relief Program, last year over two separate bailouts, sold $17 billion in common shares and $3.5 billion in convertible notes.

The shares of both the companies were down on Wednesday, with Wells Fargo shares falling 31 cents, or 1.14 percent, to $26.85 and Citigroup shares fell 1.5 percent, or 5 cents, to $3.29.