Nexus between assets structure and profitability of Croatian banking system

Traditionally, in Croatia, as well as in other developing countries, most entities (households and enterprises) with cash surpluses entrust their investment portfolios to banks, instead of investing in securities. Therefore, the question of the profitability of banks' business becomes a key issue, as they do not only meet the interests of their shareholders and management, but also have positive effects on the whole economy. The aim of this paper is to analyse the influence of the structure and dynamic of total assets on financial performances on the example of the Republic of Croatia. In order to achieve the main purpose, the cross-section and fixed-effects panel models will be estimated. They will include standard profitability and various assets indices. The results of the analysis show that the level of total assets and especially the level of fixed assets, as well as the share of the other deposits, significantly influence the level of profit after taxation, as well as on return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE).