Lönsamhet i svenska banker - En tidsserieanalys av de svenska storbankernas lönsamhet och risktagande
This study aims to scrutinize the four major banks in Sweden on how their profit havedeveloped over a time span of 15 years, whether stricter regulations have had anyimpact on financial key ratios and if there is any correlation between the banksprofitability and their risk taking. The period covered is the years 2000-2014. Thefigures are annually and the four major banks are; Handelsbanken, Nordea,Skandiviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) and Swedbank.The findings are that financial key ratios that include net income are pro-cycle whereSwedbank has the biggest volatility over the period and that the three other banks areless, but clear pro-cycle. There are also indications that stricter rules have madeimpact on the volatility of the profitability even though the period covered is notenough to ensure this claim. Nordea has had the lowest and most stable capital ratiothroughout the period and the other three banks lowered their debt-to-equity ratiosignificantly after the financial crisis in 2008. This is likely due to the news and thebeginning of the implementation of the regulation Basel III and also the new issue ofstocks that three of fours banks realized in 2009. In regard of the banks risk taking,the capital risk is where the banks have their biggest exposure. The financial risk,including interest risk, credit risk and liquidity risk, are also pro-cycle. They havebeen slightly stabilized after the financial crisis, indicating that Basel III and itscounter cycle capital buffer might have affected the banks risk taking on thesematters.Finally, due to the short time since Basel III was introduced and the implementationprocess begun, some findings are not verified. Therefore, the authors would find itinteresting to see further investigations on a couple of matters presented at the end ofthe essay.