Regulations last checked for updates: Oct 17, 2024

Title 12 - Banks and Banking last revised: Oct 15, 2024
§ 252.40 - [Reserved]
§ 252.41 - Authority and purpose.

(a) Authority. 12 U.S.C. 321-338a,1818,1831p,1844,1844,5361,5365,5366,sec. 401(e), Pub. L. 115-174, 132 Stat. 1296.

(b) Purpose. This subpart implements section 165 of the Dodd-Frank Act (12 U.S.C. 5365) and section 401(e) of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which requires the Board to conduct annual analyses of nonbank financial companies supervised by the Board and bank holding companies with $100 billion or more in total consolidated assets to evaluate whether such companies have the capital, on a total consolidated basis, necessary to absorb losses as a result of adverse economic conditions.

[84 FR 59105, Nov. 1, 2019]
§ 252.42 - Definitions.

For purposes of this subpart E, the following definitions apply:

Advanced approaches means the risk-weighted assets calculation methodologies at 12 CFR part 217, subpart E, as applicable, and any successor regulation.

Baseline scenario means a set of conditions that affect the U.S. economy or the financial condition of a covered company and that reflect the consensus views of the economic and financial outlook.

Covered company means:

(1) A U.S. bank holding company with average total consolidated assets of $100 billion or more;

(2) A U.S. intermediate holding company subject to this section pursuant to § 252.153; and

(3) A nonbank financial company supervised by the Board.

Foreign banking organization has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 211.21(o).

Pre-provision net revenue means the sum of net interest income and non-interest income less expenses before adjusting for loss provisions.

Planning horizon means the period of at least nine consecutive quarters, beginning on the first day of a stress test cycle over which the relevant projections extend.

Provision for credit losses means:

(1) With respect to a covered company that has adopted the current expected credit losses methodology under GAAP, the provision for credit losses, as would be reported by the covered company on the FR Y-9C in the current stress test cycle; and,

(2) With respect to a covered company that has not adopted the current expected credit losses methodology under GAAP, the provision for loan and lease losses as would be reported by the covered company on the FR Y-9C in the current stress test cycle.

Regulatory capital ratio means a capital ratio for which the Board has established minimum requirements for the company by regulation or order, including, as applicable, the company's regulatory capital ratios calculated under 12 CFR part 217 and the deductions required under 12 CFR 248.12; except that the company shall not use the advanced approaches to calculate its regulatory capital ratios.

Scenarios are those sets of conditions that affect the U.S. economy or the financial condition of a covered company that the Board determines are appropriate for use in the supervisory stress tests, including, but not limited to, baseline and severely adverse scenarios.

Severely adverse scenario means a set of conditions that affect the U.S. economy or the financial condition of a covered company and that overall are significantly more severe than those associated with the baseline scenario and may include trading or other additional components.

Stress test cycle means the period beginning on January 1 of a calendar year and ending on December 31 of that year.

Subsidiary has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 225.2.

[84 FR 59106, Nov. 1, 2019]
§ 252.43 - Applicability.

(a) Scope—(1) Applicability. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this subpart applies to any covered company, which includes:

(i) Any U.S. bank holding company with average total consolidated assets of $100 billion or more;

(ii) Any U.S. intermediate holding company subject to this section pursuant to § 252.153; and

(iii) Any nonbank financial company supervised by the Board that is made subject to this section pursuant to a rule or order of the Board.

(2) Ongoing applicability. A bank holding company or U.S. intermediate holding company (including any successor company) that is subject to any requirement in this subpart shall remain subject to any such requirement unless and until its total consolidated assets fall below $100 billion for each of four consecutive quarters.

(b) Transitional arrangements. (1) A bank holding company that becomes a covered company on or before September 30 of a calendar year must comply with the requirements of this subpart beginning on January 1 of the second calendar year after the bank holding company becomes a covered company, unless that time is extended by the Board in writing.

(2) A bank holding company that becomes a covered company after September 30 of a calendar year must comply with the requirements of this subpart beginning on January 1 of the third calendar year after the bank holding company becomes a covered company, unless that time is extended by the Board in writing.

[Reg. YY, 79 FR 64049, Oct. 27, 2014, as amended at 80 FR 75425, Dec. 2, 2015; 82 FR 9329, Feb. 3, 2017; 84 FR 59106, Nov. 1, 2019]
§ 252.44 - Analysis conducted by the Board.

(a) In general. (1) The Board will conduct an analysis of each covered company's capital, on a total consolidated basis, taking into account all relevant exposures and activities of that covered company, to evaluate the ability of the covered company to absorb losses in specified economic and financial conditions.

(2) The analysis will include an assessment of the projected losses, net income, and pro forma capital levels and regulatory capital ratios and other capital ratios for the covered company and use such analytical techniques that the Board determines are appropriate to identify, measure, and monitor risks of the covered company that may affect the financial stability of the United States.

(3) In conducting the analysis, the Board will not incorporate changes to a firm's business plan that are likely to have a material impact on the covered company's capital adequacy and funding profile in its projections of losses, net income, pro forma capital levels, and capital ratios.

(b) Economic and financial scenarios related to the Board's analysis. The Board will conduct its analysis using a minimum of two different scenarios, including a baseline scenario and a severely adverse scenario. The Board will notify covered companies of the scenarios that the Board will apply to conduct the analysis for each stress test cycle to which the covered company is subject by no later than February 15 of that year, except with respect to trading or any other components of the scenarios and any additional scenarios that the Board will apply to conduct the analysis, which will be communicated by no later than March 1 of that year.

(c) In conducting a stress test under this section, the Board will make the following assumptions regarding a covered company's capital actions over the planning horizon:

(1) The covered company will not pay any dividends on any instruments that qualify as common equity tier 1 capital;

(2) The covered company will make payments on instruments that qualify as additional tier 1 capital or tier 2 capital equal to the stated dividend, interest, or principal due on such instrument;

(3) The covered company will not make a redemption or repurchase of any capital instrument that is eligible for inclusion in the numerator of a regulatory capital ratio; and

(4) The covered company will not make any issuances of common stock or preferred stock.

(d) Frequency of analysis conducted by the Board—(1) General. Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the Board will conduct its analysis of a covered company according to the frequency in Table 1 to § 252.44(d)(1).

Table 1 to § 252.44(d)(1)

If the covered company is a: Then the Board will conduct its analysis:
Global systemically important BHCAnnually.
Category II bank holding companyAnnually.
Category II U.S. intermediate holding companyAnnually.
Category III bank holding companyAnnually.
Category III U.S. intermediate holding companyAnnually.
Category IV bank holding companyBiennially, occurring in each year ending in an even number.
Category IV U.S. intermediate holding companyBiennially, occurring in each year ending in an even number.
Nonbank financial company supervised by the BoardAnnually.

(2) Change in frequency. (i) The Board may conduct a stress test of a covered company on a more or less frequent basis than would be required under paragraph (d)(1) of this section based on the company's financial condition, size, complexity, risk profile, scope of operations, or activities, or risks to the U.S. economy.

(ii) A Category IV bank holding company or Category IV U.S. intermediate holding company may elect to have the Board conduct a stress test with respect to the company in a year ending in an odd number by providing notice to the Board and the appropriate Federal Reserve Bank by January 15 of that year. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, such a company may elect to have the Board conduct a stress test with respect to the company in the year 2021 by providing notice to the Board and the appropriate Federal Reserve Bank by April 5, 2021.

(3) Notice and response—(i) Notification of change in frequency. If the Board determines to change the frequency of the stress test under paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section, the Board will notify the company in writing and provide a discussion of the basis for its determination.

(ii) Request for reconsideration and Board response. Within 14 calendar days of receipt of a notification under paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this section, a covered company may request in writing that the Board reconsider the requirement to conduct a stress test on a more or less frequent basis than would be required under paragraph (d)(1) of this section. A covered company's request for reconsideration must include an explanation as to why the request for reconsideration should be granted. The Board will respond in writing within 14 calendar days of receipt of the company's request.

[Reg. YY, 79 FR 64049, Oct. 27, 2014, as amended at 80 FR 75425, Dec. 2, 2015; 84 FR 59106, Nov. 1, 2019; 85 FR 15604, Mar. 18, 2020; 86 FR 7949, Feb. 3, 2021]
§ 252.45 - Data and information required to be submitted in support of the Board's analyses.

(a) Regular submissions. Each covered company must submit to the Board such data, on a consolidated basis, that the Board determines is necessary in order for the Board to derive the relevant pro forma estimates of the covered company over the planning horizon under the scenarios described in § 252.44(b).

(b) Additional submissions required by the Board. The Board may require a covered company to submit any other information on a consolidated basis that the Board deems necessary in order to:

(1) Ensure that the Board has sufficient information to conduct its analysis under this subpart; and

(2) Project a company's pre-provision net revenue, losses, provision for credit losses, and net income; and pro forma capital levels, regulatory capital ratios, and any other capital ratio specified by the Board under the scenarios described in § 252.44(b).

(c) Confidential treatment of information submitted. The confidentiality of information submitted to the Board under this subpart and related materials shall be determined in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)) and the Board's Rules Regarding Availability of Information (12 CFR part 261).

[Reg. YY, 79 FR 64049, Oct. 27, 2014, as amended at 80 FR 75426, Dec. 2, 2015; 84 FR 4245, Feb. 14, 2019]
§ 252.46 - Review of the Board's analysis; publication of summary results.

(a) Review of results. Based on the results of the analysis conducted under this subpart, the Board will conduct an evaluation to determine whether the covered company has the capital, on a total consolidated basis, necessary to absorb losses and continue its operation by maintaining ready access to funding, meeting its obligations to creditors and other counterparties, and continuing to serve as a credit intermediary under baseline, adverse and severely adverse scenarios, and any additional scenarios.

(b) Publication of results by the Board. (1) The Board will publicly disclose a summary of the results of the Board's analyses of a covered company by June 30 of the calendar year in which the stress test was conducted pursuant to § 252.44.

(2) The Board will notify companies of the date on which it expects to publicly disclose a summary of the Board's analyses pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section at least 14 calendar days prior to the expected disclosure date.

[Reg. YY, 79 FR 64049, Oct. 27, 2014, as amended at 82 FR 9329, Feb. 3, 2017]
§ 252.47 - Corporate use of stress test results.

(a) In general. The board of directors and senior management of each covered company must consider the results of the analysis conducted by the Board under this subpart, as appropriate:

(1) As part of the covered company's capital plan and capital planning process, including when making changes to the covered company's capital structure (including the level and composition of capital);

(2) When assessing the covered company's exposures, concentrations, and risk positions; and

(3) In the development or implementation of any plans of the covered company for recovery or resolution.

(b) Resolution plan updates. Each covered company must update its resolution plan as the Board determines appropriate, based on the results of the Board's analyses of the covered company under this subpart.

source: 77 FR 62391, Oct. 12, 2012, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 12 CFR 252.45