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Credit Losses in Australasian Banking

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  • Hess, Kurt
  • Grimes, Arthur
  • Holmes, Mark J.

Abstract

We analyse 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 less efficient banks have greater asset quality problems. 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Hess, Kurt & Grimes, Arthur & Holmes, Mark J., 2008. "Credit Losses in Australasian Banking," Motu Working Papers 292657, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:motuwp:292657
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.292657
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    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Suren Pakhchanyan & Jörg Prokop & Gor Sahakyan, 2018. "Drivers of Bank Solvency, Risk Provisioning and Profitability in the Armenian Banking System," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 17(3), pages 307-332, December.
    7. Christina Atanasova & Mingxin Li & Yevgeny Mugerman & Mehrdad Rastan, 2019. "Government guarantees and the risk-taking of financial institutions: evidence from a regulatory experiment," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(6), pages 476-492, October.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    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. Richa Verma Bajaj & Gargi Sanati & Chetan Lodha, 2024. "Impact Assessment Study of NPAs and Rate of Recovery: Are Private Sector Banks in India Better off?," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 25(3), pages 724-749, June.
    12. Laidroo, Laivi & Männasoo, Kadri, 2017. "Do credit commitments compromise credit quality?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 303-317.
    13. Sedki Zaiane & Maria Semenova, 2025. "The Uniform Relationship Between Managerial Ability And Bank Loan Quality: Does It Hold? Evidence From Quantile Regressions," HSE Working papers WP BRP 96/FE/2025, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    14. Niu, Jijun, 2016. "Loan growth and bank valuations," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 185-191.
    15. 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.
    16. 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.
    17. Viv B Hall & C John McDermott, 2019. "Changes in New Zealand's Business Insolvency Rates after the Global Financial Crisis," Motu Working Papers 19_15, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    18. Christina Bui, 2018. "Bank Regulation and Financial Stability," PhD Thesis, Finance Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, number 5-2018, January-A.
    19. Kurt Hess & Arthur Grimes, 2009. "Commercial Bank Loan Loss Recoveries," Working Papers in Economics 09/09, University of Waikato.
    20. Abuzayed, Bana & Ben Ammar, Mouldi & Molyneux, Philip & Al-Fayoumi, Nedal, 2024. "Corruption, lending and bank performance," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 802-830.
    21. 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.
    22. 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).
    23. 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.

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    Keywords

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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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