The big picture on stress tests

There's been a lot of news trickling out about the results of the stress tests, and the general view is that the industry is better off than people might have thought. Some banks will need to raise capital but will likely not need more taxpayer money. This group includes Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and the finance arm of GM, according to the New York Times.

Some regional banks will also be on this list. But other banks are fine as they are, assuming the worst-case stays the worst case: American Express, Capital One, Bank of New York Mellon, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and MetLife. It's unclear where Morgan Stanley falls along this spectrum. Truth be told, the top 19 banks will need to raise less than $100 billion, the Times says. But some big decisions will be made about how to raise this capital. Exchange offers will do the trick, but how much common do you want the government to own? How much are you willing to dilute current holders? And will the government agree, as it raises costs and risks for taxpayers? Stay tuned, as we'll know more soon. 

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