scholarly journals The effect of decreasing interest rates on European banks’ earnings quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andras Takacs ◽  
Tamas Szucs

Earnings quality (EQ) is an indicator generally defined as a mix of many components like persistence, predictability, volatility and smoothing of earnings. This study is based on the hypothesis that in the banking sector, any changes in interest rates make a remarkable effect on these characteristics of earnings, and thus may influence EQ. Between 2007 and 2015, there has been a general decreasing trend in interest rates across Europe, with varying slopes in different countries. Using data of 128 European banks from 27 countries, it is examined how the extent of interest rate decrease influenced the EQ of banks. It was found that the extent of interest decrease negatively affects earnings quality, meaning that the EQ of banks located in countries with less drastic relative interest cuts between 2007 and 2015 (typically less developed Central and Eastern European countries) is higher than the EQ of banks from developed countries with significant relative interest cuts in the same period.

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1731-1746
Author(s):  
D.A. Artemenko ◽  
I.I. Bychkova

Subject. We consider the application of negative interest rates by central banks of various countries, as a monetary policy tool. Objectives. We focus on reviewing the historical retrospect, potential risks, as well as positive and negative aspects of using negative interest rate instruments by developed countries. Methods. The study rests on the logical, systems, functional, and situational analysis, methods of grouping, and the monographic survey. Results. The use of negative interest rates as a monetary policy tool by financial regulators in various countries is a least-evil solution, which is aimed at improving the economy after the global economic crisis of 2008–2010. At present, positive and negative factors of the tools' impact on the financial sphere have been identified. In particular, the advantage is a balance between inflation and deflation, as the latter leads to a reduction in aggregate demand, an increase in unemployment, a fall in asset prices, and a slowdown in economic growth. The banking sector bears the risks of negative margin from operations involving fund-raising. The use of negative interest rates is possible, if other measures aimed at boosting economic growth are applied simultaneously. Conclusions. The findings can be used to investigate the negative interest rate instrument and evaluate its effectiveness. They can be helpful for financial market specialists.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Fidane Spahija

In Kosovo, but in all developing countries, the foreign investment is the locomotive of the country that considered as the most important economic sectors. In general it can be concluded that most of the investment originates from developed countries and that these investments return to these places. Origin of investments in Kosovo mainly comes from countries such as Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Great Britain, Switzerland, Turkey, the Netherlands, Albania, Serbia, USA, France, Macedonia, Croatia, Cyprus, Norway, Italy, Greece etc. The banking sector in Kosovo has been very attractive to the foreign investors. A total of nine commercial banks, seven are foreign owned. Foreign investments are primarily generated as investments in shares of foreign shareholders from different countries of the world. Investments in securities have increased by the banking sector in 2014. With the change of the interest rate it has also changed net interest margin of the banking sector. Interest on loans and deposits has continued to decline. Especially interest rates on deposits in 2014 have fallen to 1. 1%. This linked to the investment bank in securities of our government as the initiator in this area but cannot be denied to the investment of foreign governments. With the decrease of credit interest rate will be the development of sustainable economic growth and boost investment.


2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsu-Ling Chang

This study uses the Sequential Panel Selection Method (SPSM) proposed by Chortareas and Kapetanios (2009) to investigate the non-stationarity properties of real interest rates in 12 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. We are thereby able to test the validity of real interest rate parity (RIRP) among these countries. The SPSM can be used to decompose a panel of real interest rate series into two groups: a group of stationary series and a group of non-stationary series. We identify the stationary processes in the panel and demonstrate that RIRP holds for 10 of the 12 countries studied. Our findings show that real interest rate convergence among these 10 countries exhibits non-linear mean reversion toward RIRP equilibrium. The results have important policy implications for the CEE countries studied.


2005 ◽  
Vol 08 (04) ◽  
pp. 687-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Malhotra ◽  
Vivek Bhargava ◽  
Mukesh Chaudhry

Using data from the Treasury versus London Interbank Offer Swap Rates (LIBOR) for October 1987 to June 1998, this paper examines the determinants of swap spreads in the Treasury-LIBOR interest rate swap market. This study hypothesizes Treasury-LIBOR swap spreads as a function of the Treasury rate of comparable maturity, the slope of the yield curve, the volatility of short-term interest rates, a proxy for default risk, and liquidity in the swap market. The study finds that, in the long-run, swap spreads are negatively related to the yield curve slope and liquidity in the swap market. We also find that swap spreads are positively related to the short-term interest rate volatility. In the short-run, swap market's response to higher default risk seems to be higher spread between the bid and offer rates.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Omar A. Abdelrahman

This paper investigates the underlying determinants of consumer’s choices regarding switching credit-card balances. To estimate the likelihood that consumers switch credit cards, two logit models are estimated. Using data from the Consumer Finance Monthly (CFM) of The Ohio State University, the author finds that at the conventional 5 percent level of significance, the following variables have significance: old interest rate, new interest rate, duration of the introductory rate, balances, number of credit cards, homeownership, and age. As expected, interest rates, balances, the duration of new introductory offer rates, and homeownership have the greatest influence on why or why not people switch credit cards. The findings are consistent with the view that consumers make rational decisions in the credit card market, challenging Ausubel’s (1991) argument of credit card consumer irrationality and Calem and Mester’s (1995) empirical finding that credit card rates are sticky because consumers are irresponsive to rate cuts.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 2921-2954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Hoffmann ◽  
Sam Langfield ◽  
Federico Pierobon ◽  
Guillaume Vuillemey

Abstract We study the allocation of interest rate risk within the European banking sector using novel data. Banks’ exposure to interest rate risk is small on aggregate, but heterogeneous in the cross-section. Contrary to conventional wisdom, net worth is increasing in interest rates for approximately half of the institutions in our sample. Cross-sectional variation in banks’ exposures is driven by cross-country differences in loan-rate fixation conventions for mortgages. Banks use derivatives to partially hedge on-balance-sheet exposures. Residual exposures imply that changes in interest rates have redistributive effects within the banking sector. Received October 31, 2017; editorial decision August 30, 2018 by Editor Philip Strahan. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.


2017 ◽  
pp. 57-67
Author(s):  
Mykola Stetsko

Introduction. In contrast to the markets of developed countries, forming characteristic risk premium investment bonds in emerging markets, is that the greatest effect on the risk premium on bonds in countries such factor provides market liquidity in general and specific securities in particular. The second most significant factor influencing the risk premium is the risk of changing interest rates. The risk of default of issuers in such countries is also quite high, but the component of creditworthiness is less significant factor in the combination of systematic risks. Due to low sovereign ratings of Ukraine, the credit ratings of bonds of all domestic issuers have a speculative level. Owing to this fact, all of them can be classified as highly risky and, accordingly, highly profitable (HighYield Bonds). Purpose. The aim of the article is to reduce deficits in the scientific and methodological provision of the use of corporate bonds instruments on the basis of determining the determinants of the premium for the risk of investing in them. Method (methodology). To achieve the goal and solve the problems, the following methods have been used: method of analysis and synthesis, method of comparison and generalization; method of empirical research and factor analysis; method of system approach and strategy. Results. The research of the determinants of the risk premium is important, first of all, from the point of view of substantiating the technologies of reducing the cost of enterprises to capital. The key causes of underdevelopment of the domestic corporate bond market have been determined. We have identified factors that influence the spread of profitability and the value of bonds. They are the risk of default of the issuer and the potential of the enterprise development (credit component); base interest rate and long-term interest rates on the financial market (interest rate component); liquidity of the capital market (component of liquidity); the level of inflation and the development of economic conditions; information risks. It has been determined that in order to reduce the risk of investments in corporate bonds, it is necessary to implement at the regulatory level a set of measures to reduce overhead costs and increase the reliability of investments. The introduction of a safety covenant system can be defrined as one of such measures.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2060-2103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nao Sudo ◽  
Yasutaka Takizuka

Population aging, along with a secular decline in real interest rates, is an empirical regularity observed in developed countries over the last few decades. Under the premise that population aging will deepen in coming years, some studies predict that real interest rates will continue to be depressed further to a level below zero. In this paper, we address this issue and explore how changes in demographic structures have affected and will affect real interest rates, using an overlapping generations model calibrated to Japan’s economy. We find that the demographic changes over the last 50 years reduced the real interest rate. About 270 out of the 640 basis points decline in real interest rates during this period was due to declining labor inputs and higher saving, which themselves stemmed from the lower fertility rate and increased life expectancy. As for the next 50 years, we find that demographic changes alone will not substantially increase or decrease the real interest rate from the current level. These changes reflect the fact that the size of demographic changes in years ahead will be minimal, but that downward pressure arising from the past demographic changes will continue to bite. As Japan is not unique in terms of this broad picture of changes in demographic landscapes in the last and next 50 years, our results suggest that, sooner or later, a demography-induced decline in real interest rates may be contained in other developed countries as well.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 3988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Druică ◽  
Zizi Goschin ◽  
Rodica Ianole-Călin

This paper investigates the distinct mechanisms through which energy poverty is linked to life satisfaction, via health status and one’s satisfaction with one’s own socioeconomic status, using data from the Life in Transition survey. Our sample contains 19,598 individuals from 11 former communist states located in Central and Eastern Europe, and two developed countries for comparison. We estimated a partial least squared–path model and found that both health status and socioeconomic status are relevant mediators. Our results also indicate that gender moderates the relation between health status and life satisfaction. Energy poverty has a low contribution to health status but a larger contribution to satisfaction with socioeconomic status, thus indicating that interventions on energy poverty may not greatly improve the level of health, but can have an influence on how people feel about their life. The contribution of our paper is twofold. On the one side, we continue to consolidate the existing link between energy poverty and self-reported health status with a new focus on the Central and Eastern European countries; on another side, we propose a theoretical framework expansion by including totally novel factors to be analyzed in this context: satisfaction with socioeconomic status, economic environment improvement, and intolerance.


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