Does bank competition promote economic growth? Empirical evidence from selected South Asian countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bijoy Rakshit ◽  
Samaresh Bardhan

Purpose Bank competition and financial stability are often cited as important drivers of economic growth. Bank competition plays a very significant role in enhancing the efficiency and determining the stability of a financial system. However, a question of interest is whether bank competition enhances or hindrances the economic growth of a country. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of bank competition and financial stability on economic growth for selected South Asian economies over the period 1997–2016. Design/methodology/approach To investigate whether bank competition enhances or hinders economic growth, the author applies a two-step estimation technique. First, the author estimates bank competition using the Lerner index and adjusted Lerner index and, second, examines the joint effect of bank competition and financial stability on economic growth applying both panel regression model and system GMM techniques. Findings Empirical findings reveal that the banking sector in South Asian economies is competitive as indicated by the estimated values of Lerner and adjusted Lerner index. Moreover, the joint effect defined by the interaction between banking competition and banking stability also reveals a positive and significant impact on economic growth. This finding implies that both banking competition and banking stability are significant long-term determinants of economic growth in South Asian economies. Practical implications This paper suggests flexible banking regulation policies such as low net interest rate margins, lesser activity restrictions and entry of foreign banks along with few contestability measures to increase bank competition in South Asian countries. This is because as higher the competition, greater is the chance for efficient allocation of resources and hence economic growth. Originality/value This paper is the first of its kind that considers the joint role of bank competition and financial stability on economic growth. The application of a semi-parametric approach in the estimation of marginal cost is also a unique contribution to empirical literature.

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bishnu Kumar Adhikary

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the macroeconomic determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) for the top five South Asian economies, namely, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, and to examine whether these factors are the same for each. Design/methodology/approach This study employs fully modified ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares estimation methods. Findings This study shows that South Asian economies have a number of FDI determinants in common. For example, market size and human capital are the two most common factors attracting FDI in each country (except for Nepal, which revealed a negative correlation between FDI and market size). Other factors, such as infrastructure, domestic investment, lending rates, exchange rates, inflation, financial stability/crisis, and stock turnover entered into regression with both positive and negative signs, thereby indicating that the underlying theories on FDI do not provide a clear prediction of the direction of the effect of a particular variable on FDI. Research limitations/implications This paper studied the effects of demand-side factors on FDI. A comparative study of the supply-side factors may add further knowledge. Practical implications This paper provides evidence to show that the determinants of FDI are indeed country-specific. Thus, to design a suitable FDI policy, it would not be wise to solely rely on other economies’ FDI experiences. Originality/value This paper provides updated evidence on factors that are essential to promoting or deterring FDI in South Asian economies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 200-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahzad Ijaz ◽  
Arshad Hassan ◽  
Amine Tarazi ◽  
Ahmad Fraz

This paper investigates the effect of bank competition and financial stability on economic growth by examining panel-data from 38 European countries over 2001 to 2017. Bank competition is measured with the Boone indicator, and bank stability with Z-scores and non-performing loan ratios, all at the country level. This study employs a fixed-effect estimator, as well as a system generalized method of moment (GMM) estimator to control unobserved heterogeneity, endogeneity, the dynamic effect of economic growth, and reverse causality in its estimation. Results show that bank stability significantly contributes to economic growth in Europe. Economic growth falls during crisis periods (both the global financial crisis and the local banking crisis), highlighting the importance of a resilient banking system during crisis periods. Moreover, empirical outcomes show that lower banking competition supports economic growth and increases financial stability. This study provides a framework for banks and regulators to boost economic growth through the channel of banking stability.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ali Nasir ◽  
Mushtaq Ahmad ◽  
Ferhan Ahmad ◽  
Junjie Wu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a different context for considering issues of financial stability and instability, with reference to economic growth and price stability in particular. Design/methodology/approach – This paper pursued an empirical exploration of six pillars of financial stability, based on a data set for the UK extending from 1985 (Q1) to 2008 (Q2), through the construction of a vector error correction model, including an impulse response function analysis. Findings – The findings show a strong association between the financial and economic stability even in a non-crisis regime. This includes, for example, a strong association exists between the stock market and the real economy; exchange rate appreciation may not provide for long-term real economic growth; inflation does not contribute to real economic growth, both the sensitivity of the economy to yields and a significant lag in transitional effects from financial markets to the real sector; a positive role of credit creation within a non-crisis regime; exchange rate appreciation affects purchasing power; and potential points of linkage between sovereign debt activity and general price levels. Research limitations/implications – The findings should be considered in the context of a concept of the economy as fundamentally dynamic and subject to complex cumulative processes. Practical implications – The findings indicate there is a role for state oversight and intervention within a non-crisis regime based on the complexity of possible interactions that may undermine financial and price stability, with consequences for their association with economic growth. Originality/value – The study provides a new perspective for considering issues of financial stability and instability.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhav Regmi ◽  
Allen M. Featherstone

PurposeThe number of US commercial banks has declined by about 50% over the last two decades. This change could lead to a potential decline in competition and a potential increase in market power in the agricultural banking market. The focus of this study is to examine whether the risk of failure and the performance of agricultural banks has been affected by bank consolidations.Design/methodology/approachThe impact of bank competition on performance and financial stability of agricultural banks is studied using a Lerner index as a measure of market power. A Z-score is constructed to measure bank stability. Similarly, the return on assets (net income to total assets ratio), return on equity (net income to the total equity ratio), agricultural loan ratio and agricultural loan volume are used as performance measures for agricultural banks. Two-way fixed effect regression models are estimated to measure the impact of competition on financial stability and performance.FindingsResults indicate that bank competition has a U-shaped effect on the probability of default and an inverted U-shaped effect on volume and proportion of agricultural lending. There also exists evidence of a positive but non-linear effect of bank market power on the profitability of agricultural banks.Originality/valueThere is limited literature on the impact of bank competition on financial stability and performance of US agricultural banks. Agricultural banks hold more than 40% of US farm debt. A decrease in the number of banks or the level of competition in agricultural banking may cause an adverse effect on relationship lending. The key findings imply that bank regulatory strategies should focus on enhancing (reducing) competition in more (less) concentrated banking markets to improve the financial health and performance of agricultural banks.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 887-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narayan Sethi ◽  
Bikash Ranjan Mishra ◽  
Padmaja Bhujabal

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether market size and its growth rate, along with financial development indicators, affect human capital in selected south Asian economies over the time period from 1984 to 2015. Design/methodology/approach The stationarity of the variables are checked by LLC, IPS, ADF and Phillips–Perron panel unit-root tests. Pedroni’s and Kao’s panel co-integration approaches are employed to examine the long-run relationship among the variables. To estimate the coefficients of co-integrating vectors, both PDOLS and FMOLS techniques are used. The short-term and long-run causalities are examined by panel granger causality. Findings From the empirical results, the authors found that both the market size and financial development play an important role in the development of human capital in the selected south Asian economies. It is evident that a large market size and faster degree of financial development in the selected countries result in better human capital formation. Originality/value There are a number of studies on the impact of financial development indicators on human capital and economic growth, but there is hardly any study that considers market size and its growth rate along with financial development indicators with human capital in the context of south Asian economies. The study fills this research gap.


2018 ◽  
Vol 96 ◽  
pp. 15-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manju Jayakumar ◽  
Rudra P. Pradhan ◽  
Saurav Dash ◽  
Rana P. Maradana ◽  
Kunal Gaurav

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-269
Author(s):  
Majed Alharthi ◽  
Imran Hanif

Purpose This study aims to examine the influence of the blue economy factors on the economic growth of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries. Design/methodology/approach Secondary data from 1995 to 2018 have been used for the analysis of eight countries. The contributing factors that measure the fishing production are total aquaculture production, total fisheries production and agriculture, forestry and fishing. Trade and the rate of inflation are used as control variables. Using the feasible generalized least square technique. Findings It was found that the blue economy factors play a statistically significant role in the economic growth of SAARC countries and contribute to the achievement of Goal 14 of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals: to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Originality/value This study highlights the fact that proper management and utilization of water resources may assist the stimulation of economic growth and meet the challenges of food insecurity by improving the supply of seafood in developing South Asian countries. The study proposes that the sustainable management of water resources requires an alliance across nation states. The alliance will be useful in understanding the concept of the blue economy and the role it plays in ensuring economic growth in developing nations throughout the world.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hummera Saleem ◽  
Malik Shahzad Shabbir ◽  
Muhammad Bilal khan

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze the dynamic causal relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI), gross domestic product (GDP) and trade openness (TO) on a set of five selected South Asian countries.Design/methodology/approachThis study used newly developed bootstrap auto regressive distributed lags (ARDL) cointegration test to examine the long-run relationship among FDI, GDP and TO for selected South Asian countries for 1975–2016.FindingsThe economic growth (EG) is significantly related to TO for Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka and the expansion of TO is crucial for growth in these countries. The results show that all countries (except Bangladesh) found the existence of long-run cointegration between FDI, GDP and TO, whereas FDI is a dependent variable. These results concluded that FDI and TO are contributing to EG in these selected countries.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first attempts to investigate the causal relationship and address the short and long dynamic among FDI, GDP and TO regarding five south Asian countries such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.


Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (23) ◽  
pp. 3018
Author(s):  
Aamir Aijaz Syed ◽  
Farhan Ahmed ◽  
Muhammad Abdul Kamal ◽  
Juan E. Trinidad Segovia

The advancement in fintech technological development in emerging countries has accelerated the role of digital finance in economic development. Digital finance assists in financial inclusion; however, it may also increase the chances of financial instability due to systematic risks. Emerging countries are also in the clutches of shadow economic growth, which reduces taxable income revenue and creates pressure on financial inclusion prospects. The current study attempts to measure the impact of digital finance on the shadow economic growth and financial stability among the selected South Asian emerging countries. We have used the CUP-FM and CUP-BC estimation methods to measure the above relationship on two model frameworks from 2004 to 2018, with the former measuring the influence of digital finance on the shadow economy and the latter examining the relationship between digital finance and financial stability. In addition, the second-generation unit root test, and the Westerlund cointegration analysis are also employed to confirm the stationarity and cointegration among the variables. The result of the Westerlund’s cointegration confirms a long cointegration between the explanatory and outcome variables. Furthermore, the long-run estimation results conclude that an increase in digital finance helps in reducing the growth of the shadow economy among the selected sample countries. However, it also increases the likelihood of systematic risks and increases financial instability. The study also reveals that the control variables like unemployment and industrial productivity also have a significant influence on financial stability and the shadow economy. The findings will assist readers in comprehending how digital finance influences the shadow economy and promotes financial inclusion and stability in emerging nations.


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