Capital One Financial Corp and Wells Fargo are among the bidders for HSBC Holdings Plc's U.S. credit card portfolio, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Regional banks First Niagara Financial Group , KeyCorp , and M&T Bank Corp are among the bidders for the bank's upstate New York branches, sources said.

The asset sales are part of HSBC Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver's plan to turn around Europe's largest bank by focusing on its main businesses. HSBC has been criticized for planting flags around the world with little consideration to profitability.

The bank said in May it may sell the U.S. credit card unit, which has more than $30 billion in assets.

It also said it would shrink its network of 475 U.S. branches to focus on the international business of U.S. clients and the U.S. business of overseas firms, as well as on a revival in the U.S. manufacturing industry.

Capital One is seen as strongly motivated bidder for the credit card portfolio, after it agreed to buy ING Group's online U.S. bank for $9 billion, according to sources.

The ING deal is expected to leave Capital One with a surplus of deposits, which the bank could use to fund the HSBC credit card loans.

Banks are broadly eager to boost their loan books now to increase profits. Loan demand is relatively weak amid the tepid economy, which has tempted many banks to look at acquisitions.

Spokespeople from Capital One, First Niagara, KeyCorp, M&T, and Wells Fargo declined to comment. A spokesman for HSBC did not return a call seeking comment.

(Reporting by Dan Wilchins and Paritosh Bansal; additional reporting by Maria Aspan; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Carol Bishopric)

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