Title: Do bank failure rates reflect state banking and economic conditions? An analysis across US states

Authors: Amit Ghosh

Addresses: Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, P.O. Box 2900, 1312 Park Street, Bloomington, IL 61702-2900, USA

Abstract: Understanding the determinants of bank failures is extremely important in the post financial crisis-era for both bank managers as well as regional banking regulatory authorities. Using state-level data spanning the period 1980-2014 across all 50 states and District of Columbia, the present study examines the impact of state-banking and economic conditions on bank failure rates (BFRs) for both commercial banks and savings institutions. Using both fixed effects and GMM estimations, I find greater capitalisation, overhead costs, liquidity and bank profits to lower BFRs while inferior credit quality, diversification, industry size, net charge-offs and non-performing loans increase BFRs. Moreover increases in commercial and industrial loans, individual and single-family residential loans reduce BFRs. On the other hand, multi-family residential, non-farmland, construction and land development loans increase BFRs. Finally, increases in state housing prices, state personal income and reduction in state unemployment rates lower BFRs.

Keywords: state bank failure rates; bank balance sheet; state-level economic conditions; panel data estimations; financial stability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEA.2017.089385

International Journal of Economics and Accounting, 2017 Vol.8 No.2, pp.83 - 105

Received: 14 Sep 2016
Accepted: 16 May 2017

Published online: 22 Jan 2018 *

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