Business Activity and Assessment of the National Banking System in Terms of the VBM Concept

Abstract

The reform of the Russian banking system is being stalled due to the imperfection of existing methods of assessing both the whole market value of business and its banking segment. This circumstance restrains the business activity of Western investors in the Russian financial market, provokes momentary speculative sentiments in it and strengthens crisis factors. The purpose of the research was to reveal the relevance and the possibility of applying the VBM concept, recognized and accepted in the majority of developed economies, to the banking business. The analysis of the works of foreign and domestic authors shows the need for further Russian theoretical developments. It is proved that the banking business market in Russia is undervalued. Based on the aggregate analytical data, the free cash flow to equity (FCFE) of the banking system is calculated. Based on the net profit of the banking system, its market value and the range of values in which it can be found are estimated. It is concluded that the growth of the Russian banking system measured in terms of capital and assets does not lead, as a minimum, to the growth of the market value, and, as a maximum, is accompanied by a decline in the market value. The prospects of the practical use of the VBM concept both for individual bank management and for the industry in the whole are substantiated.