Canadian banks thrive on non-traditional activities, boosting performance and reducing risks.
Canadian banks expanded into non-traditional activities, like non-interest income, from 1982 to 2018. This move slightly decreased their risks and significantly improved their performance by diversifying their income sources. Even though they followed capital adequacy regulations, shifting towards non-traditional activities did not lower their capital ratio. This shows that Canadian banks effectively managed their capital allocation while taking risks, despite changes in banking regulations.