News release: “The results of a comprehensive, forward-looking assessment of the financial conditions of the nation’s 19 largest bank holding companies (BHCs) by the federal bank supervisory agencies were released on Thursday. The exercise–conducted by the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation–was conducted so that supervisors could determine the capital buffers sufficient for the 19 BHCs to withstand losses and sustain lending–even if the economic downturn is more severe than is currently anticipated. In a detailed summary of the results of the Supervisory Capital Assessment Program (SCAP), the supervisors identified the potential losses, resources available to absorb losses, and resulting capital buffer needed for the 19 participating BHCs. The SCAP is a complement to the Treasury’s Capital Assistance Program (CAP), which makes capital available to financial institutions as a bridge to private capital in the future. Together, these programs play a critical role in ensuring that the U.S. banking sector will be in a position of strength.”

• Statement by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke
• Statement from Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner Regarding the Treasury Capital Assistance Program and the Supervisory Capital Assessment Program
• The Supervisory Capital Assessment Program: Overview of Results – May 7, 2009
• New York Times Op-Ed – How We Tested the Big Banks, by Timothy Geithner
• New York Times: U.S. Says Ailing Banks Need $75 Billion
• WSJ: Fed Sees Up to $599 Billion in Bank Losses – Ten Firms Must Boost Capital by $75 Billion to Cope With Worst-Case Scenario; Some Shares Up on Hopes Worst Is Past / Also from WSJ – Interactives: Compare Banks Tested and Bank by Bank Findings
• Reuters – The stress test’s biggest loser: GMAC
• Economic Policy Institute: Greater transparency in stress test results is a good start; more is needed
• Related postings on financial system