The Relationships Between Profitability, Capital, and Risk: Commercial vs. Saving/Mortgage Banks

32 Pages Posted: 7 Dec 2008

See all articles by Jacob Paroush

Jacob Paroush

Bar-Ilan University - Department of Economics

Ben Z. Schreiber

Bank of Israel; Bar Ilan University

Date Written: December 6, 2008

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between capital, profitability, and risk in U.S. commercial banks versus saving/mortgage banks for the period q1/1995-q4/2006. Following Froot and Stein (1988), we distinguish between these two banking sectors by their loans portfolios: commercial banks extend larger and unique loans with unstable probability of default rates relatively to saving/mortgage banks. Based on this analysis, we hypothesize positive relation between risk and profitability in commercial banks and positive relation between risk and capital in saving/mortgage banks. Contrary to the current literature, which analyze only two out of the three variables: capital, profitability, and credit risk, our approach considers simultaneous analysis of the above three variables. The simultaneous analysis as well as the empirical results, provides an answer to the question, why in the sample period commercial banks were riskier than saving/mortgage banks while having similar capital level.

Keywords: Profitability, Capital, Risk, Commercial Banks, Mortgage Banks

JEL Classification: G21, G32, G12

Suggested Citation

Paroush, Jacob and Schreiber, Ben Z., The Relationships Between Profitability, Capital, and Risk: Commercial vs. Saving/Mortgage Banks (December 6, 2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1312402 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1312402

Jacob Paroush

Bar-Ilan University - Department of Economics ( email )

Ramat-Gan, 52900
Israel
+972.3.531.8569 (Phone)
+972.3.535.3180 (Fax)

Ben Z. Schreiber (Contact Author)

Bank of Israel ( email )

P.O. Box 780
Jerusalem 91007
Israel
972-2-6552595 (Phone)
972-2-6512026 (Fax)

Bar Ilan University ( email )

Ramat Gan, 55000
Israel

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