According to Bloomberg, the Federal Reserve said 17 of the 18 largest U.S. banks could withstand a deep recession and maintain capital above a regulatory minimum.
According to the report, only Ally Financial Inc., the auto lender majority-owned by U.S. taxpayers, fell below a 5 percent Tier 1 common ratio, a regulatory minimum and measure of financial strength, according to data released by the central bank in Washington. Morgan Stanley (MS) showed a minimum Tier 1 common ratio of 5.7 percent in the test and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) a ratio of 5.8 percent.
The results are a prelude to the Fed’s capital plan review of the same banks scheduled for release on March 14. That review measures how dividend or share-buyback plans affect capital, and is a decision point for banks to increase such outlays if their ratios are sufficient.
Read the full news story on Bloomberg.