Common Equity Tier 1 Explained: Meaning, Types, Process, and Use Cases
Common Equity Tier 1, usually shortened to CET1, is the highest-quality capital a bank holds to absorb losses and remain solvent during stress. It sits at the heart of modern bank regulation, capital planning, and investor analysis. If you want to understand how regulators judge bank strength, how banks decide dividends and growth, or why some bank stocks trade at discounts, CET1 is a core concept.