Four largest banks in Greece successfully passed the ECB stress test

On May 5, the European Central Bank (ECB) published the results of the stress test of the four largest banks in Greece: with an unfavorable scenario, in the next three years their capital will fall no less than the minimum requirements of the ECB, which indicates the successful completion of a multi-year restructuring period.

To assess the state of banks, the ECB uses the coefficient of basic capital of the first level (Common Equity Tier 1, CET1) – this capital must be sufficient to cover possible unexpected losses of the bank in case of recession, low interest rates, currency weakening and falling real estate prices. The ECB is considering two scenarios: in the baseline scenario, the ratio should fall not lower than 8%, while unfavorable – 5.5%. Continue reading →