US bank regulatory reform: Capital relief or systemic risk?

In June, US banking regulators, led by the Federal Reserve, proposed changes to the supplementary leverage ratio (SLR), a regulatory measure used to ensure financial stability by limiting excessive leverage.

Despite expectations that easing the SLR rules will unlock lending and liquidity in the US economy, concerns remain over potential risks to financial stability. While large US banks tend to maintain capital buffers well above regulatory minimums, critics believe the Fed’s proposal could shift capital away from the intended outcomes and toward shareholders or proprietary trading.

In Episode 75 of The Flip Side podcast, Global Head of Research Brad Rogoff and US Large-Cap Bank Analyst Jason Goldberg debate whether the SLR changes will strengthen or strain the US banking system.

Clients of Barclays Investment Bank can read more on bank capital in several recent publications:

• Large-Cap Bank Capital Outlook: SCB improvement near-term, more meaningful changes looking out
• Fed issues proposal to reduce SLR minimum, the first of several capital changes expected
• SLR relief - Why we think it helps