This study examined the effect of financial risks on performance of Deposit Money Banks DMBs) using the identified explanatory variables of financial risks, viz: Credit risks, Insolvency risks, Liquidity risks and Market risks covering a period of 12 years (2007- 2018). The methodology of the study makes use of ex-post facto research design. While the population of the study were nineteen deposit money banks, the study sample comprised ten (10) DMBs. The panel regression models estimated using Unobserved Effects Model (UEM), while the result of the Hausman test indicated between fixed effect model and random effect model at 5% inference. The study findings showed that Credit Risk was negative and statistically significant to deposit money banks’ performance [β = – 13.0495; Pval = 0.013]. The result also shows that Liquidity Risk is inversely and insignificantly related to banks’ profitability [β = – 0.156; Pval = 0.6703] and Insolvency Risk (INSRK) have negative signs that are statistically insignificant to banks profitability [β = – 0.016; Pval = 0.745]. Market Risk has insignificant and positive effect on Profitability (NPBIT) [β = 0.038; Pval = 0.5720] at 0.05 level. Also, Credit Risk (CR) was found to be negative and statistically significant at Economic Value Added [β = – 7.0789; Pval = 0.006]. On the contrary, the result also shows that Liquidity Risk (LIQR) [β = 0.0264; Pval = 0.961] and Market Risk [β = 0.0369; Pval = 0.747] have positive signs that are statistically insignificant to Economic Value Added. On its part, Credit Risk (CR) established a negative and significant effect on Return on Assets [β = – 0.9647; Pval = 0.0421]. Liquidity Risk [β = – 0.0018; Pval = 0.8471] and Insolvency Risk [β = 0.0008; Pval = 0.7719] have negative and positive signs that are statistically insignificant to Return on Assets. In relation to the findings of the study, the study recommended amongst others that it is fundamental for DMBs in Nigeria to practice scientific credit risk management, improve their efficacy in credit analysis and loan management to secure as much as possible their assets, and minimize the high incidence of non-performing loans and their negative effects on financial performance
Keywords: Credit risk, Market Risk, Profitability, economic value added, financial risk, insolvency risk
