Fed Blocks 5 Banks From Raising Dividends

The Federal Reserve is barring Citigroup and four other big banks from increasing their dividends or buying back their own stock because they need better plans for coping with a severe recession.

The announcement Wednesday follows last week’s results of the Fed’s annual “stress tests.” The central bank determined that the U.S. banking industry is better able to withstand a major economic downturn than at any other time since the financial crisis struck in 2008. The Fed said that only one of the 30 biggest banks in the country needed to take more steps to shore up its capital base.

Besides Citigroup, the Fed also ruled against dividend increases or share repurchases at HSBC North America Holdings Inc., RBS Citizens Financial Group Inc., Santander Holdings USA Inc. and Zions Bancorp.