It is second such set of stress tests for insurance companies, which shadow a similar exercise being carried out on the big banks by the European Banking Authority.

BBC: Europe's insurers found to be 'robust'

Concerns over the health of U.S. banks have cast a shadow over the recent recovery, and the stress-test results, showing most U.S. banks would be well-capitalized in the event of an economic downturn, helped allay some of those worries.

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