• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Finance

Federal Reserve Passes Big Banks in Stress Test

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 23, 2016, 4:40 PM ET
Federal Reserve Building in Washington, D.C.
Photograph by Anadolu Agency — Getty Images

Updated – 5:55 p.m.

The Federal Reserve handed out only passing grades in its annual stress test, according to results released on Thursday afternoon.

Of the 33 banks the Fed tested—which included the largest U.S. banks, like Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo—as well as some sizable regional banks and the U.S. divisions of large international banks, all were deemed strong enough to weather a severe economic meltdown without any help from the government.

Still, not all of the banks fared equally well. Among the big banks, Morgan Stanley (MS), appeared to come out with the lowest grade. It showed a 7 percentage point drop in a key capital ratio in the Fed’s hypothetical economic downturn. That was the largest drop of the banks that the Fed tested. On another measure of capital, Morgan was only 0.9 percentage points above the minimum required by the Fed, again the lowest level of all the banks.

Morgan’s shares have fallen 30% in the past year as a number of business, including bond trading, have lagged, causing some analysts to question whether CEO James Gorman will be able to return the firm to its former level of profitability.

Wells Fargo, too, came out of the test looking a bit worse than the other banks, with a key capital ratio after the affects of the stress test coming it at the lowest level of all the big banks.

A difference for this year was that the Fed factored in the possibility of negative interest rates. That would hurt lending-heavy banks like Wells Fargo (WFC) more than Wall Street-focused banks like Goldman Sachs (GS).

What’s more, the Fed determined that a number of big banks are still exposed to very big losses should another financial crisis or significant downturn hit. Losses at JPMorgan Chase (JPM) would reach $95.4 billion in the Fed’s adverse stress scenario. That was the biggest of the big banks. Bank of America (BAC) could have $82 billion in losses, according to the Fed.

All together, the Federal Reserve estimated that the 33 banks would lose nearly $527 billion dollars if the economy were to enter a recession similar to the one experienced in the late aughts. That was up from $490 billion in bank losses the Fed projected a year ago, but last year’s test included two fewer banks.

Still, as was the case in 2015, the banks collectively cleared the test by a wider margin than they did the year before. The positive stress test results serve as yet another example of how more safe the big banks are than in 2007 and 2008. It also shows how financial strength of the nation’s largest institutions have become a focus at the big banks and for regulations.

The initial results appear to be a win for J.P. Morgan, which had the lowest percentage point drop in its capital ratio among the big banks in the Fed’s stress test. The stress test should also provide a boost for Citigroup (C) and Goldman, which came out with the high level on a key capital ratio in the stress test. Capital ratios measure how much money a bank has to cover trading losses and bad loans.

The Fed conducted its stress tests by looking at how much the banks could stand to lose in their loan portfolios and trading books under an adverse economic scenario.

A Fed official cautioned that while all the banks met the minimum capital levels, the regulator might still reject a bank’s request to increase dividends based on qualitative reasons. The results of that determination will be made next week.

An earlier version of this story said a key capital ratio for Morgan Stanley was only 0.4 percentage points above the Fed’s minimum requirement. In fact that ratio is 0.9 percentage point above the minimum.

About the Author
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Mel Robbins
SuccessGen Z
Millionaire podcaster Mel Robbins hits back at Gen Z’s lazy label—she says they’re stuck in a world their baby boomer parents wouldn’t even recognize
By Emma BurleighMay 23, 2026
22 minutes ago
employees
CommentarySuccession
Millions of business owners are about to retire. They should sell to their employees
By Matt Helmer and Maxwell JohnsonMay 23, 2026
2 hours ago
Kevin Warsh, chairman of the US Federal Reserve nominee for US President Donald Trump, is sworn in during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on April 21, 2026 in Washington, DC.
EconomyKevin Warsh
‘I almost fell out of my chair’: Fed stalwart Claudia Sahm fears Kevin Warsh’s policies could undo 20 years of policy progress
By Eleanor PringleMay 23, 2026
3 hours ago
A construction worker wearing a yellow helmet wipes his nose with his hand.
North AmericaImmigration
America is suffering a shortage of construction workers and sabotaging its ability to fill vacancies by wiping out the industry’s immigrant backbone
By Sasha RogelbergMay 23, 2026
3 hours ago
ambrose
CommentaryRobotics
Former NASA Robotics Chief: America is building the wrong kind of robots — and China knows it
By Robert AmbroseMay 23, 2026
5 hours ago
Elon Musk’s SpaceX IPO filing just told us what business he’s betting on for the future—and it’s not rockets
InvestingFinance
Elon Musk’s SpaceX IPO filing just told us what business he’s betting on for the future—and it’s not rockets
By Shawn TullyMay 23, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
2 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
22 hours ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
3 days ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
21 hours ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
4 days ago
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
Success
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
By Preston ForeMay 22, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.