We examine the financial performance, risk, changing revenue and asset mix, prospects for future shareholder value creation and executive compensation of the 15 largest commercial banks in the US from 2001-2010. Aggregate revenue for large commercial banks in the US reached all-time highs in...

Using a sample of dividend-paying firms, we show that much of the variation in accruals and real activities can be explained by firms' different performance trajectories. High (low) performance firms spend more (less) on SG&A and CAPEX and hold what appear to be abnormally low (high) levels of...