U.S. Federal Reserve Proposes Rules Raising Quantity, Quality of Capital for U.S. Banks

The Federal Reserve, implementing heightened international standards known as Basel III, proposed rules at a June 7 meeting that would increase the quantity and quality of capital required for U.S. banks…

In First, U.S. Federal Reserve Allows Chinese Banks To Acquire U.S. Banks

The Federal Reserve’s governors voted unanimously to expand China’s banking access on U.S. territory, including for the first time allowing Chinese buyouts of U.S. banks, according to an approval announced May 9.

Basel Committee on Banking Supervision Reaffirms Capital Charges For ‘Too Big to Fail’ Banks, Liquidity

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision reaffirmed Sept. 28 its plans to impose additional capital charges on “too big to fail” banks, rebuffing complaints from the large banks that the charges were too onerous.

European Commission Seeks Major Overhaul of Bank Capital Rules to Implement Basel III

The European Commission proposed multifaceted banking reform legislation that would require 8,200 banks in the European Union to adopt the Basel III capital adequacy standards that would require them to boost capital buffers and liquidity cushions and leverage backstops…

Eight Banks Fail European Stress Tests, Five in Spain, While Another 16 Barely Pass

Despite financial market expectations that as many as a dozen European banks would fail new bank stress tests conducted by the European Banking Authority over the past four months, results released July 15 indicated that only eight financial institutions did not measure up to a criterion of having 5 percent of their assets as Core Tier 1 capital against a series of negative criteria…

China Reacts To Rising Inflation Numbers By Raising Bank Reserves Ratio Requirement

A day after the release of new inflation data that show prices continue to rise faster than hoped, China’s central bank announced May 12 that it would require commercial banks to hold more cash in reserves.

Basel Committee Official Downplays New Liquidity Rules’ Impact on Bank Assets

A senior official with the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision April 6 played down concerns that new liquidity standards under the Basel III capital accord could lead to a concentration of assets in government debt…

ANALYSIS: Higher Minimum Capital Standards: Basel Committee on Banking Supervision Crowns Common Equity King

On Sept. 12, the Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (the “Basel Committee Group”) announced capital reforms designed to substantially strengthen existing globally-endorsed requirements. These reforms were agreed to by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (the “Basel Committee”).

Those new measures – commonly referred to as Basel III – were considered by the G-20 leaders at their November 11th summit in Seoul…