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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 18, 2026
2 min read
Last updated: March 18, 2026
ECB Flags Underpriced Geopolitical Risks, Opposes Looser Bank Rules
Table of Contents
ECB Warns Against Easing Bank Regulations Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
Underpricing of Geopolitical Risks in Financial Markets
FRANKFURT, March 18 (Reuters) – Financial markets are underpricing geopolitical risks, increasing the potential for sudden sell-offs, European Central Bank supervisor Claudia Buch said on Wednesday, as she warned against easing bank regulations.
Global Regulatory Divergence
The U.S. has been loosening bank rules for the past year, putting pressure on regulators elsewhere as their lenders could face an uneven playing field if they did not follow suit.
Importance of Maintaining Guardrails
“These guardrails need to be maintained as geopolitical tensions rise,” Buch said in the ECB’s annual supervision report. “Fragmentation or any weakening of standards could undermine banks’ ability to withstand adverse developments.”
Market Reactions and Bank Resilience
Recent Market Movements
Bank shares have sold off since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran but market moves have been orderly, much like over the past year when tariffs and wars raised uncertainty.
Capitalisation and Buffers
Lenders are properly capitalised and have all the necessary buffers, but risks remain high, Buch argued.
Market-Based Indicators and Risk Repricing
“This uncertainty is not adequately reflected in market-based indicators of financial stress, which could lead to an abrupt repricing of risk,” she said.
Potential for Sudden Shocks
Transmission of Shocks
She argued that shocks could materialise unexpectedly and spread quickly given geopolitical tensions, stretched valuations in some market segments, growing interconnections with non-bank financial firms and the risk of sudden shifts in market sentiment.
ECB’s Supervisory Priorities
Strengthening Lender Resilience
The ECB has made strengthening lenders’ resilience to geopolitical risks a key priority for this year and will stress test the largest banks in the coming months.
(Reporting by Balazs Koranyi, editing by Andrei Khalip)
