ECB Said to Use 8% Capital Buffer on Biggest Euro Banks

The European Central Bank will require the euro area’s biggest banks to hold a capital buffer of at least 8 percent as it takes charge of financial supervision in the currency bloc, three people familiar with the situation said.

The ECB will ask banks to hold capital equivalent to 7 percent of risk-weighted assets, plus a supplemental 1 percent for the largest institutions, said the people who declined to be identified as the details are confidential. An ECB spokeswoman declined to comment. The central bank is scheduled to publish further details at 9 a.m. in Frankfurt today.