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First-quarter results from two more European banks showed bad debts soaring in the face of tough economies, as U.S. rivals prepared to raise $75 billion to provide a cushion for the deepest recession in decades.

The Federal Reserve of the United States released the results of the assessment the top US banks and their financial conditions.

U.S. regulators told top banks on Thursday to raise $74.6 billion to build a capital cushion officials hope will restore faith in financial firms and set a course out of the deepest recession in decades.

Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke said that the results of stress test results today - showing 10 banks need $75 billion in additional capital - should give comfort to investors and the public about the ability of banks to weather an even more adverse economic situation than the nation is facing.

The much anticipated stress test results were finally released on Thursday by the Federal Reserve reflecting that 10 of the nation's 19 largest banks need a total of about $75 billion in new capital.

U.S. regulators told top banks on Thursday to raise $74.6 billion to build a capital cushion officials hope will restore faith in financial firms and set a course out of the deepest recession in decades.

Wells Fargo & Co , the fourth-largest U.S. bank, announced on Thursday a $6 billion common stock offering, as the bank faces regulatory stress tests to determine whether it needs to strengthen its capital.

The U.S. government was preparing on Thursday to draw a line separating the weak from the strong in the banking sector in an attempt to put the worst of the financial crisis behind it.

Investors braced for the release of bank stress test results that will separate the weak from the strong and force some top banks to raise billions of dollars in capital.

Citigroup Inc and Bank of America Corp shares rallied in premarket trading ahead of the release of stress test results that will force them and other top banks to raise tens of billions of dollars in capital.

Regulators are ordering some of the largest U.S. banks to find tens of billions of dollars of capital to cushion themselves in the event of a deep economic downturn.

Some of the U.S. banking giants have been ordered to find additional capital by regulators to protect themselves in the event of a severe economic downturn.

Regulators are ordering some of the largest U.S. banks to find tens of billions of dollars of capital to cushion themselves in the event of a deep economic downturn.

Wells Fargo & Co on Wednesday said it is freezing its cash-balance pension plan for all employees, and has issued layoff notices to 548 workers in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, the former home of Wachovia Corp.

The Dow and S&P 500 rose on Wednesday, led by bank shares, after media reports suggesting some major banks, including JP Morgan Chase & Co , won't have to raise capital under government stress tests.

Regulators have told Bank of America Corp it needs $34 billion of capital to withstand a deep economic downturn, as the U.S. government prepares to release results of industrywide stress tests.

Regulators have told Bank of America Corp it needs $34 billion of capital to withstand a deep economic downturn, an industry source familiar with results of a government stress test said late on Tuesday.

About 10 of the 19 largest U.S. banks being stress tested will be instructed by regulators to raise more capital, according to a source familiar with official talks.

U.S. regulators have deemed that about 10 of the 19 U.S. banks being stress tested will need to raise more capital, according to a source familiar with official talks.

Bank of America Corp , denying a media report, said it had no plans to raise $10 billion in common equity, while another report said Citigroup Inc was looking to raise capital from private investors.

Corrects 2nd para to show US regulators asked Wells Fargo to raise capital

The largest U.S. banks made the case to regulators on Monday that they have the financial firepower to withstand a deeper recession, as Bank of America denied a report it was trying to raise capital of $10 billion.

Warren Buffet is the largest shareholder in Wells Fargo. He claims it is a Fabulous Bank and would like to buy it all. Is he serious or is he just talking up his shares?

U.S. bank shares rose on Monday after analysts said government stress tests of financial institutions would show most would need less new capital than previously feared.

Warren Buffett attacked the government's stress tests of 19 large U.S. banks, saying they failed to properly assess the industry's health, and that he would buy more shares in three big banks Berkshire Hathaway Inc already owns.

Warren Buffett criticized the government's stress tests of 19 large U.S. banks for failing to account for strengths in lenders' business models, and said he would buy more shares of three big banks in the portfolio of his Berkshire Hathaway Inc .

Warren Buffett criticized the government's stress tests of 19 large U.S. banks, and said he would buy more shares of three big banks in the portfolio of his Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc’s chairman Warren Buffett, whose company owns a significant stake in Wells Fargo & Co, called it a “fabulous” bank that will do much better in a few years as a result of the economic crisis, according to a report.

Warren Buffett on Saturday expressed strong support for Wells Fargo & Co, one of the largest equity holdings of his Berkshire Hathaway Inc, saying it is a fabulous bank that is well-positioned to ride out the financial crisis.