U.S. banks pass Fed stress test, but not foolproof
All 23 U.S. banks participating in its annual stress test have withstood a severe recession, the Federal Reserve said today. Despite projected losses of $541 billion, the banks will be able to maintain minimum capital levels while continuing to extend credit through a hypothetical recession. This clears the way for the U.S. banking industry to start a new round of dividends and buybacks. The test included giants including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo, international banks with large U.S. operations, and the largest regional lenders including PNC and Truist, but smaller banks avoided the test altogether, passing the stress test and It doesn't stand for "safety" like it did in previous years. Regulation on regional banks is expected to tighten in the coming months, while international standards are likely to tighten, raising capital requirements for large U.S. banks. Barr, the Fed's vice chairman for supervision, said: "Today's results confirm that the banking system remains strong and resilient. But the test is only one way to measure that strength. Efforts should continue to ensure that banks can withstand a range of economic scenarios, market shocks and other pressures."