April 9, 2013 - Banking stress tests have made the US financial system more resistant to potential future shocks.

That is the opinion of Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve (Fed), who has insisted these periodic regulatory examinations of lenders' operations - which were introduced in the aftermath of the global crisis - have put the sector on a much firmer footing.

During a speech delivered at an event hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in Georgia yesterday (8 April), Mr Bernanke said the contrast in terms of general health in the markets today to five years ago is vast.

"The resilience of the US banking system has greatly improved since then," he noted.

The official went on to say the combination of the "more intensive use and greater sophistication of supervisory stress testing" and the improved emphasis on the "effectiveness of banks' own capital planning processes" have driven this improvement.