Foreign banks in MENA countries: how important? How relevant?

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saibal Ghosh

Purpose – The role of foreign banks in impacting the behavior of domestic banks has been a relatively unaddressed topic in the literature. Employing bank-wise data on MENA countries during 2000-2012, the purpose of this paper is to examine how the behavior of foreign banks impact domestic bank performance. For this purpose, the authors focus on not only their profitability and stability, but also on broader numbers such as loan portfolio and funding costs. In addition, the authors also explore the impact of foreign banks on the growth of domestic economies and its implications for the allocation of capital and labor. Design/methodology/approach – The authors employ the dynamic panel data methodology as compared to alternate techniques owing to the ability of this technique to effectively address the endogeneity problem of some of the independent variables. Findings – The results suggest that foreign bank presence exerts significant spillover effects. At the same time, increased foreign banks appear to impel domestic banks to cut back lending. As regards its impact on growth, the results indicate that although labor does not exert any discernible impact on GDP growth, capital exerts a positive impact on output when foreign bank penetration is high, supportive of the real effects of foreign banks. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the early studies for MENA countries to examine this issue in a systematic manner. Most studies of this genre focus on a limited set of banks/countries, thereby limiting their empirical evidence. By focussing on an extended sample of MENA country banks covering an extended period that subsumes the financial crisis, the analysis is also able to shed light as to how foreign presence impacts domestic bank performance.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ameen Omar Shareef ◽  
K.P. Prabheesh

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of foreign banks in transmitting global monetary policy shocks to India. Further, the authors try to explore the international bank lending channel and analyze the impact of global monetary policy on Indian macroeconomic variables. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a structural break unit root test and structural vector autoregression on monthly data from 1998 to 2018. Findings The study finds that the global monetary policy is significantly determining foreign banks’ lending in India; the evidence of a portfolio re-balancing channel in the process of global monetary policy transmission to the Indian economy; the exchange rate is significantly explaining the foreign bank credit dynamism in India; and evidence of international monetary policy spillover to the Indian economy. Originality/value This is the first attempt to analyze the role of foreign banks in the transmission of global monetary policy shocks to India, where the literature availability is limited. The finding of ineffective domestic monetary policy on foreign bank lending opens the need for an in-depth and diversified analysis of the role of foreign banks in the transmission of domestic monetary policy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 462-476
Author(s):  
Brian Tavonga Mazorodze ◽  
Dev D. Tewari

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to establish the empirical link between real exchange rate (RER) undervaluation and sectoral growth in South Africa between 1984 and 2014.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a dynamic panel data approach estimated by the system generalised method of moments technique in a bid to control for endogeneity.FindingsThe authors find a significant positive impact of undervaluation on sectoral growth which increases with capital accumulation. Also, the authors confirm that undervaluation promotes sectoral growth up to a point where further increases in undervaluation retards growth.Practical implicationsThe results confirm the importance of policies that keep the domestic currency weaker to foster sectoral growth.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper lies in establishing the impact of exchange rate undervaluation on growth at a sector level in the context of South Africa using a dynamic panel data approach.


2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Yin ◽  
Kent Matthews

Purpose China as a main emerging and transition economy has since 2006 opened up its banking market to foreign competition. Thus far, the penetration of foreign banks has been only moderate with around 2 per cent market share of the total banking market, despite the widely held view that foreign banks operate at a higher level of efficiency and that Chinese state-owned banks (SOBs) operate at a lower level of efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between bank ownership and the lending behaviour and relationship banking that stems from the Chinese tradition of “guanxi”. Design/methodology/approach Based on three bank types the authors construct a model of the choice of bank type and show how that model can be estimated using a multinomial logit. The authors assume that firms choose a bank type as a function of firm characteristics (Berger et al., 2008; Ongena and Sendeniz-Yüncü, 2011), deal terms (Machauer and Weber, 2000; Ziane, 2003), and industry classification (Uchida et al., 2008; Ongena and Sendeniz-Yüncü, 2011). Findings This paper finds the existence of a close banking relationship of a “guanxi” type between SOBs and state-owned enterprises (SOEs). This is shown up in the form of better deal terms for the SOE. In the case of foreign banks the authors find that a foreign bank-foreign owned enterprise relationship exists but this is based on risk quality and no advantages in deal terms, which suggest a more commercial-based relationship. The empirical findings are that transparent and high-quality firms are likely to engage with foreign banks, while state-owned firms are more likely to engage with SOBs. Originality/value In China, few studies have addressed the potentially important role of bank ownership on lending behaviour (e.g. Firth et al., 2008; Berger et al., 2009). The authors extend the analysis by distinguishing not only between foreign and domestic banks, but also between SOBs and other domestic banks. This research seeks to enhance the understanding of bank ownership, lending behaviour and relationship banking.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Issa ◽  
Hesham Yousef ◽  
Ahmed Bakry ◽  
Jalal Rajeh Hanaysha ◽  
Ahmad Sahyouni

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of board diversity (e.g. nationality, gender and educational level) on financial performance for a sample of banks listed in 11 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the system generalized method of moments estimation approach on the data of banks listed in the MENA countries over the period 2011–2018 to investigate the relationship between board diversity and financial performance. Also, the findings are supported by additional robustness tests, including ordinary least squares, fixed and random effect techniques. Findings The empirical results show that there is a significant relationship between board diversity and financial performance in banks. Specifically, the findings demonstrate that board diversity related to nationality has a significant positive impact on bank performance. The findings also show an insignificant association between gender and educational level diversity and bank performance. The robustness analysis supports the findings of the baseline model. Practical implications The study provides multi-country evidence on the importance of board diversity in the MENA region and it sheds light on possible tracks for future reforms aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the board’s functions. Originality/value This paper extends the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the association between board diversity and financial performance of banks in the MENA countries. This paper also provides preliminary evidence on the importance of board diversity to influence financial performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reena Bhattu-Babajee ◽  
Boopen Seetanah

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically assess the impact of value-added intellectual capital (VAIC) on the financial performance (FP) of companies in Mauritius.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses a dynamic panel vector error correction model (PVECM) which simultaneously allows for endogeneity and causality issues among the variables used.FindingsThe results show that VAIC enhances corporate FP, with a reported lower effect in the short run as compared to the long run. Other important determinants of firm’s performance are asset turnover, capital turnover and firm’s size. Leverage, on the other hand, is observed to be performance reducing in nature. FP of the companies is also a significant determinant of VAIC, implying reverse causal effects exist between the two variables of interest, namely, VAIC and FP.Research limitations/implicationsThe study can be enhanced by doing an industry-specific comparison of the impact of VAIC on FP for more insights.Practical implicationsIt is recommended that managers pay more attention to the role of firms’ stock of tangible and intangible assets, as this has a positive impact on firms’ FP. Also, the results may help to increase awareness of the importance of effective intellectual capital (IC) management within an organization. More so, as demonstrated by Ståhle et al. (2011), VAIC indicates the efficiency of the company’s labor and capital investments within firms in Mauritius. This study may, therefore, enable Mauritian firms to measure their IC efficiency and develop policies to promote and improve upon their intellectual potential to enhance firm’s performance.Originality/valueThe main theoretical contribution of this paper relates to the assessment and conceptualization of the bi-directional relationship between VAIC and FP. It confirmed that there are self-reinforcing feedback effects between VAIC and FP. Methodologically speaking, this paper investigates the VAIC–FP nexus in a dynamic setting using a dynamic panel data framework, namely, a PVECM which also allows for additional insights into the short- and long-run effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuan Quoc Le ◽  
Ha Ngan Duong ◽  
Phuong Thanh Nguyen

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the decisions of listing for Vietnamese banks and the impact of listing on bank performance. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal data set of 30 commercial banks in the period of 2006–2018 with various univariate and multivariate tests is used. Findings This study found that listing is positively associated with bank profitability. The results are consistent even after the control for potential endogeneity problems by propensity score matching methodology and Heckman selection bias models. Further analysis suggests some new alternative channels for the positive impact, namely, the increased quality of information disclosure, technological development and income diversification of commercial banks after listing. Practical implications Hence, this paper provides recommendations and policy implications for regulatory bodies regarding the listing of commercial banks in Vietnam. Originality/value The contributions to the literature are three-folds. First, this study contributes to a strand of literature on the impact of going public [initial public offering (IPO)/listing] of financial institutions on their performance. While the literature on non-financial firm performance post-going public is ample, few have directly considered the IPO/listing of banks and other financial institutions. Second, in further looking at the impact of listing on bank performance, this study also sheds some light on the new possible channels of the effect and provides evidence of new channels. Then, last but not least, the case of Vietnam could possibly yield interesting results for a transitory stock market. From the evidence, the recommendations and policy implications for a listing of Vietnamese banks are provided.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 824-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Boadi ◽  
Daniel Osarfo

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of diversity of board members’ educational qualifications on the financial performance of banks in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The present study applies system generalized methods of moments as an econometric model in carrying out the analysis. The study yielded a usable sample of 28 banks spanning from 2001 to 2016. Findings The paper concludes that the Ghanaian banking sector profit diverges and invalidates the convergence theory or “catch-up effect”. Specifically, educational qualifications of board members are relevant to banks’ financial performance. Across all the models used, board members with a first degree have a significant positive impact on performance. The opposite is the case for board members with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Research limitations/implications Unobservable characteristics such as entrepreneurial skills and intellectual competence experiences are excluded from the study because of the difficulties in measuring these variables. Notwithstanding, the exclusion of these characteristics does not invalidate the general outcome of the study. Originality/value The present study examines the impact of diversity of board members’ educational qualification on financial performance in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ghana. It also extends the existing literature by decomposing the banking sector into listed, non-listed, foreign and domestic banks.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (79) ◽  
pp. 91-106
Author(s):  
Jorge H. L. Ferreira ◽  
Francisco A. M. Zanini ◽  
Tiago W. Alves

ABSTRACT The present study aims to determine the impact of bank revenue diversification on Brazilian banks’ risk and return. This strategy has been adopted by banks in several countries, including Brazil. In 2003, noninterest income accounted for 17.80% of the operating revenue of the banks analyzed, and in 2014, this share increased to 27.40%. While many studies have addressed the subject in American, European and Asian banks, it still has not been approached in a sample of Brazilian banks. Since the banking industry is a key variable for the financial system’s stability, it is important to study the factors that affect banks’ risk and return. We analyzed the sample for the period from 2003 to 2014, using dynamic panel data GMM (Generalized Method of Moments) to address endogeneity, heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation problems. Our main results show that noninterest income has a major role in the performance of the banks studied; our analysis of financial intermediation activities showed that loan operations produced better results than trading. Moreover, confirming the hypotheses proposed, noninterest income showed a generally positive impact on return and risk adjusted return for the banks studied. However, against our expectation, noninterest income showed a positive relationship with the risk of these banks (although not statistically significant). It is worth highlighting the control variables, i.e., real interest rate, GDP and bank growth, which were relevant in determining bank performance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 798-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurlan Orazalin ◽  
Monowar Mahmood ◽  
Keun Jung Lee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different dimensions of corporate governance practices such as board characteristics, ownership structure, corporate disclosure and CEO education on the operating performance of Russian banks before, during and after financial crises. Based on the findings, it proposes some policy measures for improved governance practices to protect banks from future financial crisis or economic downturns. Design/methodology/approach The study comprises data from the largest publicly traded Russian banks listed on the Russian Stock Exchange RST for the period. Operating performance data were collected from financial statements, while corporate governance mechanisms were collected from annual reports available on the banks’ websites. Because panel data were used, the panel regression model was used to control unobserved time-constant heterogeneity. Findings The findings revealed a positive impact of corporate governance on bank performance before and after the financial crisis. The financial crisis enforced Russian banks to improve their corporate governance practices, resulting in better operating performance after the crisis. Surprisingly, the results for the during-crisis period show that better governance did not yield higher operating performance in Russian banks. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to provide empirical results regarding the relationship between corporate governance practices and bank performance in Russia across different financial crisis periods. The findings revealed the uniqueness of corporate governance scenarios of Russia which could provide important guidelines for other transition economies and emerging markets.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 822-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saibal Ghosh

Purpose The purpose of the study is to understand the importance of corporate governance reforms for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) country banks. To address this issue, the author combines the staggered timing of corporate governance reforms for banks across MENA countries with bank-level data for the period 2000-2012 and examine the impact on bank performance. Design/methodology/approach The author employs fixed effects regression within a difference-in-differences specification for the analysis. Findings The analysis suggests that not all governance characteristics are equally effective and some of these characteristics exert a more pronounced effect on bank performance as compared to others. These results also vary across oil-exporting and -importing nations and differ during the crisis. Besides, the authors find that improved operating efficiency and access to finance are the key channels through which governance improves bank performance. Practical implications Corporate governance reforms in the MENA countries need to be carefully tailored, taking into account the inherent economic characteristics of the country for it to exert durable impact. The challenge for policymakers is to find the right balance that can ensure maximum benefits for the banking sector, while minimizing the challenges involved in its implementation. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the earliest studies for MENA country banks to examine the interface between corporate governance reforms and bank performance, while controlling for the possible endogeneity of such reforms on performance.


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