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Credit Losses in Australasian Banking

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  • KURT HESS
  • ARTHUR GRIMES
  • MARK HOLMES

Abstract

We analyse the determinants of bank credit losses in Australasia. Despite sizeable credit losses over the past two decades, ours is the first systematic study to do so. Analysis is based on a comprehensive dataset retrieved from original financial reports of 32 Australasian banks (1980–2005). Credit losses rise when the macro economy is weak. Asset markets, particularly the equity market, are also important. Larger banks provide more for credit losses while banks with high cost‐income‐ratios show greater loan loss provisions. Strong loan growth translates into significantly higher credit losses with a lag of 2–4 years. Finally, the results show strong evidence of income smoothing activities by banks.

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  • Kurt Hess & Arthur Grimes & Mark Holmes, 2009. "Credit Losses in Australasian Banking," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 85(270), pages 331-343, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:85:y:2009:i:270:p:331-343
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4932.2009.00551.x
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    3. Soedarmono, Wahyoe & Sitorus, Djauhari & Tarazi, Amine, 2017. "Abnormal loan growth, credit information sharing and systemic risk in Asian banks," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1208-1218.
    4. Foos, Daniel & Norden, Lars & Weber, Martin, 2010. "Loan growth and riskiness of banks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(12), pages 2929-2940, December.
    5. Muhammad Kashif & Syed Faizan Iftikhar & Khurram Iftikhar, 2016. "Loan growth and bank solvency: evidence from the Pakistani banking sector," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 2(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Laidroo, Laivi & Männasoo, Kadri, 2017. "Do credit commitments compromise credit quality?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 303-317.
    7. Vuong Thao Tran & Hoa Nguyen & Chien Ting Lin, 2017. "Herding behaviour in the Australian loan market and its impact on bank loan quality," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(4), pages 1149-1176, December.
    8. Viv B. Hall & C. John McDermott, 2021. "Changes in New Zealand's business insolvency rates after the GFC," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(2), pages 173-187, May.
    9. Christina Bui, 2018. "Bank Regulation and Financial Stability," PhD Thesis, Finance Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, number 5-2018.
    10. Cummings, James R. & Durrani, Kassim J., 2016. "Effect of the Basel Accord capital requirements on the loan-loss provisioning practices of Australian banks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 23-36.
    11. Viv B Hall & C John McDermott, 2019. "Changes in New Zealand’s Business Insolvency Rates after the Global Financial Crisis," Working Papers 19_15, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    12. Kurt Hess & Arthur Grimes, 2009. "Commercial Bank Loan Loss Recoveries," Working Papers in Economics 09/09, University of Waikato.
    13. Cucinelli, Doriana & Battista, Maria Luisa Di & Marchese, Malvina & Nieri, Laura, 2018. "Credit risk in European banks: The bright side of the internal ratings based approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 213-229.
    14. Pais, Amelia & Stork, Philip A., 2011. "Contagion risk in the Australian banking and property sectors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 681-697, March.
    15. Bui, Christina & Scheule, Harald & Wu, Eliza, 2017. "The value of bank capital buffers in maintaining financial system resilience," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 23-40.
    16. Cubillas, Elena & Ferrer, Elena & Suárez, Nuria, 2021. "Does investor sentiment affect bank stability? International evidence from lending behavior," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    17. Daniel Ofori‐Sasu & Elikplimi Komla Agbloyor & Saint Kuttu & Joshua Yindenaba Abor, 2023. "Bank lending behaviour and systemic banking crisis in Africa: The role of regulatory framework," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(6), pages 1318-1345, August.
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    19. Hall, Viv & McDermott, John, 2019. "Changes in New Zealand’s Business Insolvency Rates after the GFC," Working Paper Series 8251, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.

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    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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