Banks Need $75 Billion

The stress test results are out, and remarkably similar to the leaked versions that have peppered business media all week: Federal regulators say America's 19 biggest banks needs to raise $75 billion by November. Though somewhat cheerier than estimates from only two months ago, the "too big to fail" banks still have a lot of work to do, said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner at a news briefing Thursday afternoon. Among the stressed-out banks is Citigroup, which needs to raise $5.5 billion in new capital on top of the $45 billion in rescue funds they must convert into ordinary stock (which will makes the U.S. a 36-percent owner of the bank). Bank of America needs $35 billion but is expected to resist converting government shares; the New York Times reports the bank is more likely to sell assets, including its stake in China Construction Bank. GMAC, General Motors' finance arm needs $11.5 billion more capital. Among the lucky banks that aren't being instructed to raise more capital: JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, MetLife, Bank of New York Mellon, and Capital Onel. But will the stress tests put to rest the nation's economic anxieties? Bloomberg reports that stocks slid today, and bank experts remain divided.