Stress Test Preview: Banks Holding Up

Government stress tests on the 19 largest U.S. banks and thrifts are expected to be completed this month and the most recent data available for the holding companies likely being scrutinized shows that most appear in decent shape.

The list of companies undergoing "consistent, realistic, and forward looking" assessments, as Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in February, has not been made public. It was not clear whether holding companies like MetLife (MET Quote), whose primary business is life insurance, would be included in the mix. Therefore, TheStreet.com published a stress test preview in March looking all 31 U.S. holding companies that filed consolidated financial statements with the Federal Reserve and had total assets of over $50 billion.

ProPublica.org later compiled a list of 19 holding companies that the organization determined to meet the Treasury's criteria for the stress tests. ...