Accounting
First Foundation reveals $215m goodwill charge
End-of-year impairment evaluation pushed forward to Q2 amid changing macroeconomic conditions

Asset-liability management: Special report 2023
There is nothing new about the dynamics behind the asset-liability management (ALM) banking crisis of earlier this year: maturity transformation, liquidity risk and interest rate risk are at the heart of the traditional banking business model. But these…

Regulators’ remorse: SVB and the case for IRRBB capital charges
Basel Committee chair among those who say Pillar 1 capital requirement could have helped control SVB risks

Western Alliance, PacWest put $9.8bn of loans up for sale
Embattled banks to dispose of 13% and 10% of respective loan books as strategic options talks continue
Crypto custody faces regulatory death-roll
New measures to safeguard digital assets threaten to squeeze the life out of custody business, insiders fear
The Catch-22 of US banks’ liquidity buffers
US banks are using held-to-maturity bonds to underpin liquidity adequacy, grating against accounting guidance. What happens if they’re forced to sell?
Did US hedge accounting rules contribute to SVB’s recklessness?
Hedging and directional risk-taking was a problem, but FASB regime may have complicated matters
HTM securities hit $2.5trn at US banks in 2022
BofA, First Foundation and Wells Fargo reported largest share of HTM to total securities behind SVB
EU banks need ‘billions’ in hedges to pass new NII test
Declines in net interest income can be hedged, but the markets may struggle to handle the demand
BMO, TD and US Bancorp hit by out-of-the-money goodwill hedges
Derivatives meant to offset dilution of capital in acquisitions turned loss-making as yields temporarily slumped
Stablecoins: good as the buck, or breaking the buck?
Collateral concerns and iffy auditing have raised fears of a ‘de-pegging’ event – and possible contagion across crypto and beyond
It’s not easy being green: why the FX market is lagging on ESG
And what’s being done to fix it
HKMA preparing prescriptive climate stress test for 2023
Regulator plans granular scenario specifications, considers Pillar 2 capital measures
FTX failure resets US crypto legislative programme
Lawmakers expected to seek stronger customer protection; industry wants flexibility for DeFi
BNY, State Street took $6.5bn fair-value hit to bonds in Q3
Eroding prices of RMBSs and govies keep widening unrealised losses
Bailed-out Uniper suffered €14bn derivatives markdown in H1
Company cut value of gas forwards contracts due to risk of reduced deliveries from Russia
Data-driven wrong-way risk
A calculation method for regulatory CVA wrong-way risk based on credit and exposure is introduced
Rabobank’s shaky loans up 35% on emissions cut plans
Bank says Dutch government proposal to reduce pollution from livestock farming risks making loans unviable
Allianz, Generali post €52bn in fair value losses in H1
Bond portfolio values crash as equities tailwinds fades
‘Are we nearly there yet?’ Banks navigate ESG loan accounting
Lenders ask standards boards for guidance on how rules should be applied
Fair value gains give JP Morgan DFAST edge
Bank was only one to record bigger capital lift from AOCI by end of test’s horizon
Charles Schwab rejigs bond books as it braces for AOCI reintroduction
Dealer might soon lose ability to waive mark-to-market swings from capital
ING takes €1.6bn capital hit on Russia exposures
Bank adds €834 million of provisions and takes €9 billion of new credit RWAs
Fair-value losses derail payout plans at State Street, BNY
Hit to capital adequacy from available-for-sale book forces rethinks on rate sensitivity