Determinants of Bank Profitability: Evidence from the U.S. Banking Sector

Using the ordinary least squares estimation technique, this paper analyzes the profitability of the U.S banking sector over the period from 2000 – 2008. Our profitability determinants include bank-specific characteristic as well as macroeconomic factors. Consistent previous studies, we find that the bank-specific determinants, with the exception of size, are significantly positively related to bank performance. For size measure, the impact is uncertain and is depended on the category of bank size. The macroeconomic factors GDP and interest rate change are also significant in explain bank profits.