FED CLIPS DIVIDENDS, ASKS BANKS FOR CAPITAL HIKE PLAN

The Federal Reserve Board has asked the banking system to clip their dividend payouts, stop share repurchase plans and submit a capital increase program after submitting the 34 banks under a stress test as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a press release, the US central bank said that “in aggregate, loan losses for the 34 banks ranged from $560 billion to $700 billion in the sensitivity analysis and aggregate capital ratios declined from 12.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 to between 9.5 percent and 7.7 percent under hypothetical downside scenarios.

Under the U- and W-shaped recovery scenarios, most firms remain well capitalized but several would approach minimum capital levels, the Fed said.

The sensitivity analysis does not incorporate the potential effects of government stimulus payments and expanded unemployment insurance.

In light of these results, the Board took several actions following its stress tests to ensure large banks remain resilient despite the economic uncertainty from the coronavirus event. For the third quarter of this year, the Board is requiring large banks to preserve capital by suspending share repurchases, capping dividend payments, and allowing dividends according to a formula based on recent income. The Board is also requiring banks to re-evaluate their longer-term capital plans.

All large banks will be required to resubmit and update their capital plans later this year to reflect current stresses, which will help firms re-assess their capital needs and maintain strong capital planning practices during this period of uncertainty. The Board will conduct additional analysis each quarter to determine if adjustments to this response are appropriate.

During the third quarter, no share repurchases will be permitted. In recent years, share repurchases have represented approximately 70 percent of shareholder payouts from large banks. The Board is also capping dividend payments to the amount paid in the second quarter and is further limiting them to an amount based on recent earnings. As a result, a bank cannot increase its dividend and can pay dividends if it has earned sufficient income.

"The banking system has been a source of strength during this crisis," Vice Chair Randal K. Quarles said, "and the results of our sensitivity analyses show that our banks can remain strong in the face of even the harshest shocks."