Sberbank has capital reserves, ready for higher countercyclical buffer - bank

MOSCOW. Aug 30 (Interfax) - Sberbank meets its required capital adequacy ratio with room to spare and is ready for a higher countercyclical capital buffer in 2025, the bank's press service told Interfax.

"According to our strategy and dividend policy goals, Sber endeavors to keep its N20.0 total capital adequacy ratio high - not below 13.3%, thus ensuring bank's strong reliability. This level is significantly higher than the Central Bank limit, given the three capital buffers - capital conservation, systemic importance and countercyclical buffers - both at 0.25% and 1%. So Sber is ready for the countercyclical buffer in 2025 in the set amount," the bank said.

Sberbank has not yet assessed the impact of the introduction and further increase of the countercyclical buffer on lending in the banking system as a whole. "This depends on the specific bank, its risk appetite and dividend payment strategy," it said.

The Central Bank has set the countercyclical capital buffer for banks' capital adequacy ratios at 0.25% of risk-weighted assets with effect from July 1, 2025. This is the first time a non-zero countercyclical capital buffer has been set. The Central Bank assumes the buffer should be 1% of risk-weighted assets in the long-term. The schedule of achieving the target level of 1% will be discussed in 2025, taking into consideration the phase of credit cycle and the pace of banks' recovery of capital buffers.