Federal Reserve Limits Bank Dividends, Buybacks, But Sees Banks as Well Capitalized to Support Recovery

Nareit Senior Economist Calvin Schnure said the Federal Reserve’s latest bank stress test results point to a banking system that is well positioned to support the real estate economy under various recovery scenarios.Speaking June 29 on the REIT Report podcast, Schnure said the stress tests showed that most banks remain well capitalized under either a V, U, or W-shaped recovery. A V-shape sees the economy recovering later this year or early 2021, a U-shape points to a more sluggish recovery, and a W-shape indicates a double-dip recession.The Fed also suspended share buybacks and limited dividend payments, Schnure said, noting that share buybacks have accounted for about 70% of payments made to shareholders by large banks.