Figure 21. Distribution of return on assets at commercial banks, by percentage of total industry-wide assets, 1985-2008.
Data are plotted as histograms. There are two panels. In the top panel, the distribution of ROA among commercial banks between 1985 and 2007 is centered between 1 and 1.5 percent, with negative returns accounting for less than 7 percent of industry-wide assets. The distribution of ROA shifts leftward in 2008. In the bottom panel, the distribution of ROA in 2007 is centered between 0.5 and 1 percent. Compared with 2007, the distribution of ROA shifts again leftward in 2008.
NOTE: Total industry-wide assets are deflated by a gross domestic product price deflator.
