Consider the following statements regarding the leverage ratio for ba...
The Reserve Bank relaxed the leverage ratio (LR) for banks to boost their lending activities.
The leverage ratio stands reduced to 4 per cent for Domestic Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs) and 3.5 per cent for other banks effective from the quarter commencing October 1, 2019.
"Both the capital measure and the exposure measure, along with Leverage Ratio, are to be disclosed on a quarter-end basis. However, banks must meet the minimum Leverage Ratio requirement at all times," RBI said.
The leverage ratio is defined as the capital measure divided by the exposure measure, expressed as a percentage. The capital measure is tier 1 capital, and the exposure measure includes both on-balance sheet exposure and off-balance sheet items.
The leverage ratio measures a bank's core capital to its total assets. The ratio uses tier 1 capital to judge how leveraged a bank is in relation to its consolidated assets. Tier 1 assets are ones that can be easily liquidated if a bank needs capital in the event of a financial crisis. So, it is basically a ratio to measure a bank's financial health. The higher the tier 1 leverage ratio, the higher the bank's likelihood withstanding negative shocks to its balance sheet.
The leverage ratio is used as a tool by central monetary authorities to ensure banks' capital adequacy and place constraints on the degree to which a financial company can leverage its capital base.