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Regulatory Requirements
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Regulatory Requirements  
Regulatory Requirements

14.       Regulatory Requirements.

 

Morgan Stanley.     The Company is a financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and is subject to the regulation and oversight of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve establishes capital requirements for the Company, including well-capitalized standards, and evaluates the Company's compliance with such capital requirements. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency establishes similar capital requirements and standards for Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. and Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association.

The Company calculates its capital ratios and risk-weighted assets (“RWAs”) in accordance with the capital adequacy standards for financial holding companies adopted by the Federal Reserve. These standards are based upon a framework described in the “International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards,” July 1988, as amended, also referred to as Basel I. In December 2007, the U.S. banking regulators published final regulation incorporating the Basel II Accord, which requires internationally active banking organizations, as well as certain of their U.S. bank subsidiaries, to implement Basel II standards over the next several years. In July 2010, the Company began reporting its capital adequacy standards on a parallel basis to its regulators under Basel I and Basel II as part of a phased implementation of Basel II.

In December 2010, the Basel Committee reached an agreement on Basel III. In June 2012, the U.S. banking regulators proposed rules to implement many aspects of Basel III (the “U.S. Basel III proposals”).

The U.S. Basel III proposals contemplate that the new capital requirements would be phased in over several years, beginning in 2013. In November 2012, the U.S. banking regulators announced that the U.S. Basel III proposals would not become effective on January 1, 2013. The announcement did not specify new implementation or phase in dates for the U.S. Basel III proposals.

 

In June 2011, the U.S. banking regulators published final regulations implementing a provision of the Dodd-Frank Act requiring that certain institutions supervised by the Federal Reserve, including the Company, be subject to minimum capital requirements that are not less than the generally applicable risk-based capital requirements. Currently, this minimum capital floor is based on Basel I. The U.S. Basel III proposals would replace the current Basel I-based “capital floor” with a standardized approach that, among other things, modifies the existing risk weights for certain types of asset classes.

 

At December 31, 2012, the Company was in compliance with Basel I capital requirements with ratios of Tier 1 capital to RWAs of 17.7% and total capital to RWAs of 18.5% (6% and 10% being well-capitalized for regulatory purposes, respectively). The total capital to RWAs ratio reflects an increase of approximately 65 basis points that is the result of a $2 billion subordinated debt issuance by the Company in October 2012. The ratio of Tier 1 common capital to RWAs was 14.6% (5% being the minimum under the Federal Reserve's Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (“CCAR”) framework). Financial holding companies are subject to a Tier 1 leverage ratio as defined by the Federal Reserve. The Company calculated its Tier 1 leverage ratio as Tier 1 capital divided by adjusted average total assets (which reflects adjustments for disallowed goodwill, certain intangible assets, deferred tax assets and financial and non-financial equity investments). The adjusted average total assets are derived using weekly balances for the year. At December 31, 2012, the Company was in compliance with this leverage restriction, with a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 7.1% (5% being well-capitalized for regulatory purposes).

 

 

The following table summarizes the capital measures for the Company:

 December 31, 2012 December 31, 2011
 Balance Ratio Balance Ratio
          
 (dollars in millions)
Tier 1 common capital(1)(2)$ 44,794  14.6% $ 39,785  12.6%
Tier 1 capital(1)  54,360  17.7%   51,114  16.2%
Total capital(1)  56,626  18.5%   54,956  17.5%
RWAs(1)  306,746    314,817 
Adjusted average assets(1)  769,495    769,578 
Tier 1 leverage(1)   7.1%    6.6%

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(1)       The Company's December 31, 2011 Tier 1 common capital ratio, Tier 1 capital ratio and Total capital ratio were each reduced by approximately 30 basis points, and Tier 1 leverage ratio was reduced by approximately 20 basis points due to an approximate $1.2 billion deferred tax asset disallowance adjustment, which resulted in a reduction to the Company's Tier 1 common capital, Tier 1 capital, Total capital, RWAs and adjusted average assets by such amount.

(2)       Tier 1 common capital ratio equals Tier 1 common capital divided by RWAs. On December 30, 2011, the Federal Reserve formalized regulatory definitions for Tier 1 common capital and Tier 1 common capital ratio. The Federal Reserve defined Tier 1 common capital as Tier 1 capital less non-common elements in Tier 1 capital, including perpetual preferred stock and related surplus, minority interest in subsidiaries, trust preferred securities and mandatory convertible preferred securities. Previously, the Company's definition of Tier 1 common capital included all of the items noted in the Federal Reserve's definition, but it also included an adjustment for the portion of goodwill and non-servicing intangible assets associated with the Wealth Management JV's noncontrolling interests (i.e., Citi's share of the Wealth Management JV's goodwill and intangibles). The Company's conformance to the Federal Reserve's definition under the final rule reduced its Tier 1 common capital and Tier 1 common ratio by approximately $4.2 billion and 132 basis points, respectively, at December 31, 2011.   

 

The Company's U.S. Bank Operating Subsidiaries.     The Company's U.S bank operating subsidiaries are subject to various regulatory capital requirements as administered by U.S. federal banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Company's U.S. bank operating subsidiaries' financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Company's U.S. bank operating subsidiaries must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of the Company's U.S. bank operating subsidiaries' assets, liabilities and certain off-balance sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices.

At December 31, 2012, the Company's U.S. bank operating subsidiaries met all capital adequacy requirements to which they are subject and exceeded all regulatory mandated and targeted minimum regulatory capital requirements to be well-capitalized. There are no conditions or events that management believes have changed the Company's U.S. bank operating subsidiaries' category.

 

The table below sets forth the capital information for the Company's U.S. bank operating subsidiaries, which are U.S. depository institutions, calculated in a manner consistent with the guidelines described under Basel I:

 

   December 31, 2012 December 31, 2011
   Amount Ratio Amount Ratio
          
   (dollars in millions)
Total capital (to RWAs):        
 Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. $ 11,509 17.2%$ 10,222 17.8%
 Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association $ 1,673 28.8%$ 1,278 31.9%
Tier I capital (to RWAs):        
 Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. $ 9,918 14.9%$ 8,703 15.1%
 Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association $ 1,665 28.7%$ 1,275 31.8%
Leverage ratio:        
 Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. $ 9,918 13.3%$ 8,703 13.2%
 Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association $ 1,665 10.6%$ 1,275 10.2%

Under regulatory capital requirements adopted by the U.S. federal banking agencies, U.S. depository institutions, in order to be considered well-capitalized, must maintain a ratio of total capital to RWAs of 10%, a capital ratio of Tier 1 capital to RWAs of 6%, and a ratio of Tier 1 capital to average book assets (leverage ratio) of 5%. Each U.S. depository institution subsidiary of the Company must be well-capitalized in order for the Company to continue to qualify as a financial holding company and to continue to engage in the broadest range of financial activities permitted for financial holding companies. At December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company's U.S. depository institutions maintained capital at levels in excess of the universally mandated well-capitalized levels. These subsidiary depository institutions maintain capital at levels sufficiently in excess of the “well-capitalized” requirements to address any additional capital needs and requirements identified by the federal banking regulators.

 

MS&Co. and Other Broker-Dealers.    MS&Co. is a registered broker-dealer and registered futures commission merchant and, accordingly, is subject to the minimum net capital requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. MS&Co. has consistently operated with capital in excess of its regulatory capital requirements. MS&Co.'s net capital totaled $7,820 million and $8,249 million at December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively, which exceeded the amount required by $6,453 million and $7,215 million, respectively. MS&Co. is required to hold tentative net capital in excess of $1 billion and net capital in excess of $500 million in accordance with the market and credit risk standards of Appendix E of SEC Rule 15c3-1. MS&Co. is also required to notify the SEC in the event that its tentative net capital is less than $5 billion. At December 31, 2012, MS&Co. had tentative net capital in excess of the minimum and the notification requirements.

 

MSSB is a registered broker-dealer and registered futures commission merchant and, accordingly, is subject to the minimum net capital requirements of the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. MSSB has consistently operated with capital in excess of its regulatory capital requirements. MSSB clears certain customer activity directly and introduces other business to MS&Co. and Citi. Subsequent to July 6, 2012, MSSB clears customer activity that was previously introduced to Citi.

 

MSIP, a London-based broker-dealer subsidiary, is subject to the capital requirements of the Financial Services Authority, and MSMS, a Tokyo-based broker-dealer subsidiary, is subject to the capital requirements of the Financial Services Agency. MSIP and MSMS have consistently operated in excess of their respective regulatory capital requirements.

 

Other Regulated Subsidiaries.    Certain other U.S. and non-U.S. subsidiaries are subject to various securities, commodities and banking regulations, and capital adequacy requirements promulgated by the regulatory and exchange authorities of the countries in which they operate. These subsidiaries have consistently operated in excess of their local capital adequacy requirements.

 

Morgan Stanley Derivative Products Inc. (“MSDP”), a derivative products subsidiary rated A2 by Moody's and AAA by S&P, maintains certain operating restrictions that have been reviewed by Moody's and S&P. MSDP is operated such that creditors of the Company should not expect to have any claims on the assets of MSDP, unless and until the obligations to its own creditors are satisfied in full. Creditors of MSDP should not expect to have any claims on the assets of the Company or any of its affiliates, other than the respective assets of MSDP.

 

The regulatory capital requirements referred to above, and certain covenants contained in various agreements governing indebtedness of the Company, may restrict the Company's ability to withdraw capital from its subsidiaries. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, approximately $17.6 billion and $16.2 billion, respectively, of net assets of consolidated subsidiaries may be restricted as to the payment of cash dividends and advances to the parent company.