Tag Archives: Basel Accords

One in eight banks wouldn't be able to maintain adequate capital in a stressed economic environment, according to a Trepp report. Using data from Q2, 784├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┬Ø12.7 percent├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┬Øof banks tested failed to meet capital adequacy requirements. For banks that failed the test, Trepp estimates an additional $25 to $27 billion of combined capital would be needed to achieve a passing grade. A test rendered using the increased capital ratio requirements under Basel III yielded more alarming results, with 23.5 percent of banks failing to keep adequate capital.

Proposals found in Basel III to raise capital requirements for mortgage loans would increase borrower costs for traditional mortgages and make nontraditional mortgages less available at regulated banks, according to a commentary from Fitch Ratings. "U.S. regulators' 'notice of proposed rulemaking' addressing capital requirements and risk-weighted asset calculation criteria would, if adopted, ultimately push banks away from all but the most conventional lending," Fitch said.

Three federal regulatory agencies finalized stress-testing guidance Monday for financial institutions with total assets worth more than $10 billion. The Federal Reserve, FDIC, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released the guidance after receiving 17 comment letters from banks, financial advisory firms, and trade groups. The agencies stressed the importance of capital and liquidity, saying that systemically important financial institutions should apply stress tests to these areas on a regular basis as the rule moves forward.