Research Discussion Paper – RDP 2001-06 The Effect of Macroeconomic Conditions on Banks' Risk and Profitability

Contents

• Introduction
• Sources of Variation in Banking Risk and Performance
• Australian Banks' Impaired Assets During the 1990s
• The Profitability of Australian Banks 1960–1999
• Conclusion
• Appendix A: Data
• References

I would like to thank Luci Ellis, Chay Fisher, David Gruen, Alex Heath, Chris Kent, Philip Lowe, John Simon and Graham Voss for helpful comments and Adrian McMahon and Ali Razzaghipour for excellent research assistance. I, nevertheless, retain responsibility for any remaining errors. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Reserve Bank of Australia.