Bank Capital Ratios Research Articles

Bank-specific and Macroeconomic Determinants of Commercial Banks Profitability in Kenya

This study focuses and examines the impact of bank-specific factors and macroeconomic determinants on the financial performance of commercial banks listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) during the period spanning from 2011 to 2020. The research is anchored on transaction cost economic theory with financial panel data methodology. In the pursuit of study objective, the study employed pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation method combined with fixed effect model to account for individual-specific characteristics that may not be directly observable but are likely to impact the dependent variable. The research findings reveal that bank assets, bank capital and debt ratio have a positive impact on bank profitability while bank concentration has a negative effect. Notably, inflation rate, lending rate and tax rate were insignificant in relation to rate of return on equity among the selected banks in NSE. The study recommends that banks should prioritize efficient capital allocation and diversify their business lines and offerings. Therefore, banks should give thought to the implementation of strategic asset management as a means to optimize their asset allocation, as it can contribute to increased profitability through diversification and efficient asset utilization.

Capital and profitability: The moderating role of economic freedom

Using the GMM framework, this paper examines the nexus between capital and profitability in the presence of economic freedom using annual data of US banks ranging from 2002 to 2022. consistent with both the financial stability and regulatory hypotheses, the present study's empirical findings reveal that economic freedom exerts a positive moderating influence on the relationship between bank capital ratio and profitability. The findings are heterogeneous across banks' specific characteristics and market conditions. Furthermore, the results are robust to alternative proxies of profitability. The study's finding is beneficial for policymakers and regulators as liberalization is not always adversely impact the economy; rather, it's a double-edged sword, and they must maintain that delicate balance. The conclusions of this study have meaningful implications for senior bankers and policymakers when formulating strategies for preserving bank value. Specifically, it highlights the importance of considering the interactive role of economic freedom in their decision-making process.

Liquidity regulation, bank capital ratio, and interbank rate

We study the impact of the Basel III liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) on bank capital ratio and the interbank rate in a traditional banking model. We find that inappropriate parameters assigned to calculate High-Quality Liquid Assets (HQLAs) and Net Cash Flows (NCOs) would lower the equilibrium capital ratio especially when the required liquidity ratio is strengthened. In addition, these regulatory parameters may have macro-prudential effects to steer the interbank rate.

Improved methods for identifying the operational determinants of a bank’s capital ratio

ABSTRACT Published research using econometric models to identify the determinants of bank capital ratios has produced inconsistent results. This is partly due to the failure of model formulations to distinguish between operational and managerial effects. This paper explains how the use of bank leverage can separate these effects, how to prevent financial ratios from undermining model interpretability, and how to identify and avoid ratio-related biases. The application of these improvements is tested on a panel of East Asian retail bank data from 2004 to 2014, covering China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Conclusions are drawn from quasi-experimental designs comparing two-way GMM models before and after implementation of the improvements. The results show that the improved models identify the operational determinants of capital ratios and avoid simultaneity and omitted variable bias and ratio-induced opacity in the results. The use of complementary data segments helps to interpret the results and identify paradigmatic cases for a better understanding of the relationship between regulatory capital and risk.

EXAMINING THE LINK BETWEEN BANKING SECTOR DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF ALBANIA

This research aims to examine the relationship between banking sector development and economic growth in Albania, focusing on specific indicators such as bank capital to asset ratio, non-performing loans, credit to the private sector, deposit money bank assets to GDP, inflation rate, and GDP growth. The study is grounded in the finance-growth nexus theory, which posits that financial development fosters economic growth through improved capital accumulation and resource allocation. The framework considers how banking sector health influences macroeconomic stability and growth. The research employs a quantitative approach using secondary data from credible sources such as the World Bank. The econometric model assesses the impact of banking sector indicators on economic growth in Albania over the period 2012-2021. Findings confirm that banking sector development significantly impacts economic growth in Albania. High levels of non-performing loans hinder growth, while enhanced credit to the private sector and robust bank capital ratios promote economic development. Policymakers should focus on reducing non-performing loans and strengthening the banking sector’s capital base to foster sustainable economic growth. Effective financial regulations and policies are crucial to ensuring a stable and efficient banking sector that can support long-term economic prosperity in Albania.

Optimal capital ratios for banks in the euro area

In this paper we estimate the optimal level of capital for banks in the euro area. This optimum is the result of a trade-off between the costs and benefits of more bank capital: although higher capital requirements likely lead to higher lending rates, they also reduce the likelihood of banking crises. Our baseline estimates show an optimal risk-weighted capital ratio of around 23%. By varying the assumptions underlying our analysis we obtain a range of optimal ratios from 16% to 31%. These estimates are higher than the current Basel III minimum requirements. We also estimate optimal rates for individual member states and find substantial differences between them. This is primarily due to variation across countries in the resilience of their economies. For this reason we find lower optimal bank capital ratios in countries with more stable economies. Our results show only a modest dependence on the ease with which banks in different member states are able to raise capital.

Adjustment of Bank Capital Ratios

This study explores the speed of adjustment of the capital ratio, regulatory ratio, and tier-‎I ‎ratio of ‎commercial banks in China by employing the GMM framework ‎from ‎‎2006 to 2020. The empirical ‎analysis reveals that banks adjust their regulatory ratio and tier-I ‎ratio faster than the capital ratio of ‎Chinses commercial banks. The findings report that the pace of ‎regulatory ratio, a tier-I ratio of ‎well-capitalized, highly liquid, and high growth banks are faster than ‎under-capitalized, low liquid ‎and low growth commercial banks in China. In addition, the speed ‎of adjustment of regulatory ‎ratio, the tier-I ratio is faster than capital ratio during the GFC-2008 in ‎China. These ‎findings suggest ‎that the regulators may consider the heterogeneity in the speed of ‎capital adjustment ‎across ‎different bank characteristics to formulate new bank regulations; ‎particularly, when ‎assessing and ‎adjusting the specific capital requirements through Pillar II of the ‎Basel III agreement.‎

The impact of COVID-19 and bank capital ratio on loan changes of ASEAN-5’s banking industry

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected economies around the world, including the banking industry, and this depends on various factors. The aim of this study is to understand the influence of COVID-19 independently and through the moderation of bank capital ratios on changes in loans of Association of Southeast Asian Nations 5 (ASEAN-5) banking industry players. The study uses a sample of 86 banking companies listed on the stock markets of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand from the first quarter of 2018 to the fourth quarter of 2020 by employing the panel data regression technique. The results showed that COVID-19 had a significant negative effect on changes in bank lending. However, a bank’s capital ratio was not found to play a role in moderating the effect of COVID-19 on changes in bank lending. These findings have three main implications: (i) the role of the government in recapitalization and liquidity injection can eliminate differences in behavior between banks with the classification of capital ratios; (ii) there are no signs of zombie lending in ASEAN-5’s banking industry; and (iii) regulating incentives to change bank lending behavior in future crises must take into account that bank capital categorization will not be effective. AcknowledgmentThis study was made possible with the support of a research grant by Universitas Indonesia number NKB-533/UN2.RST/HKP.05.00/2022.

Improved Methods for Finding the Operational Determinants of a Bank's Capital Ratio

Improved Methods for Finding the Operational Determinants of a Bank's Capital Ratio

Forecasting Bank Capital Ratios Using the Prophet Model by Facebook

This study investigates the efficacy of the Prophet model by Facebook with respect to forecasting bank capital ratios. Bank financial ratios and macroeconomic information are combined to forecast total risk-adjusted capital ratios for 19 large U.S. banks. Using a sample period from March 2005 to December 2020, in-sample results show that the model accurately estimates bank capital ratios over time. As validation, out-of-sample tests indicate that forecasting errors are smaller for Prophet models compared to benchmark ARIMAX models. Based on these and other results, we conclude that the Prophet model does a good job of forecasting bank capital ratios. By implication, it provides a practical forecasting tool for bank regulatory supervisors, management, and investors.

Corporate tax-shields and capital structure: leveling the playing field in debt vs equity finance

A common feature within most corporate income tax systems is that the cost of debt is deductible as an expenditure when calculating taxable profits. An unintended consequence of this tax distortion is the creation of under-capitalized firms – raising default risk in the process. Using a difference-in-differences approach, this paper shows that a reduction in tax discrimination between debt and equity finance leads to better capitalized banks. The paper exploits the exogenous variation in the tax treatment of debt and equity created by the introduction of an Allowance for Corporate Equity (ACE) system in Italy, to identify whether an ACE positively impacts banks' capital structure. The results demonstrate that a move to an unbiased corporate tax environment increases bank capital ratios, driven by an increase in equity rather than a reduction in lending activities. The change also leads to a reduction in risk taking for ex-ante low capitalized banks. Overall, these results suggest that the ACE could be a valuable policy instrument for prudential bank regulators.

Effect of Corporate and Dividend Income Tax Rates on Bank Capital

The study uses quantitative method to estimate the effect of Corporate- and Dividend-Income-Tax rates on Total-Bank-Capital, Tier-1-Bank-Capital, and Tier-2-Bank-Capital ratios. The samples are banks from ASEAN-4 countries, i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, and Thailand, taken in 2020. The effects of Corporate- and Dividend-Income-Tax on Total-Bank-Capital, Tier- 1-Bank-Capital, and Tier-2-Bank-Capital ratios were analyzed using cross-section regression. We placed Total-Bank-Capital, Tier-1-Bank-Capital, and Tier-2-Bank-Capital ratios as the dependent variable. Corporate- and DividendIncome-Tax rates were placed as the independent variable. Both Corporate and Dividend-Income-Tax rates are statistically significant and positively affect the Total-Bank-Capital and Tier-1-Bank-Capital. The findings suggest that high Corporate- and Dividend-Income-Tax rates reduce banks’ significant risks. Corporate-Income-Tax rates and negatively affect Tier-2-Bank-Capital. The finding suggests that lower tax rates will induce banks to increase their Tier-2- Bank-Capital ratio. However, the effect of Dividend-Income-Tax rates on Tier-2- Bank-Capital is not statistically significant.

Bank Capital, Risk and Profitability: A Comparative Study of Europe and Mena Countries

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of capital regulations in relation to bank risk and profitability across two different regions i.e. Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The sample for this study includes annual data of 502 banks from European and MENA banking sectors for the period 2010-2019. The study employs OLS regression to ascertain whether Basel and non-Basel based capital ratios affect bank risk and profitability across different economic regions. The study also used Generalized Method of Moments and Limited Information Maximum Likelihood to remove the issue of possible endogeneity problems. The results show bank capital ratios comprises of risk-weighted assets are more effective in minimizing credit default risk and increasing profitability of banks in the European and MENA regions. Moreover, findings imply that complying with Basel capital guidelines do not penalize bank activities in one region compared to another. Overall results imply that bank regulators in both regions should make policies in compliance with Basel (III) capital guidelines to achieve financial stability.

Systemic Risk Analysis of Multi-Layer Financial Network System Based on Multiple Interconnections between Banks, Firms, and Assets.

Global financial systems are increasingly interconnected, and risks can spread more easily, potentially causing systemic risks. Research on systemic risk based on multi-layer financial networks is relatively scarce, and studies usually focus on only one type of risk. This paper develops a model of the multi-layer financial network system based on three types of links: firm-bank credit, asset-bank portfolio, and interbank lending, which simulates systemic risk under three risk sources: firm credit default, asset depreciation, and bank bankruptcy. The impact of the multi-layer financial network structure, default risk threshold, and bank asset allocation strategy is further explored. It has been shown that the larger the risk shock, the greater the systemic risk under different risk sources, and the risk propagation cycle tends to rise and then decline. As centralized nodes in the multi-layer financial network system, bank nodes may play both blocking and propagation roles under different risk sources. Furthermore, the multi-layer financial network system is most susceptible to bank bankruptcy risk, followed by firm credit default risk. Further research indicates that increasing the average degree of firms in the bank–firm credit network, the density of the bank-asset portfolio network, and the bank capital adequacy ratio all contribute to reducing systemic risk under the three risk sources. Additionally, the more assets a bank holds in a single market, the more vulnerable it is to the risks associated with that market.

Managerial discretions and loan loss provisions in Nigerian banks

Aim: The high level of non-performing exposures and the existing crisis in the Nigerian banking sector is a source of concern. To create a basis for solving the troubles caused by the loan loss crisis, this study investigated the managerial discretionary use of loan loss provisions (LLPs) by Nigerian deposit money banks (DMBs). This is considered in the context of solvency risk and reforms embedded in the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).
 Design/research methods: Datasets related to the variables of the study were hand-collected from annual reports of a sample of 16 Nigerian deposit money banks over the period of 2007-2017. The analyses were performed using principal components analysis to derive the managerial discretions index (MDI), Prais-Winsten ordinary least square regression to segregate LLP into reported LLPs (TLLP) and discretionary LLPs (DLLP) and appropriate panel data regression models to test the study’s hypotheses subsequent to series of diagnostic tests.
 Conclusions/findings:The results revealed that managerial discretions negatively influence TLLP and DLLP represented by absolute value of DLLP (ADLLP). This represents an increase in profitability without manipulatingloan loss provisions. However, the reforms embedded in IFRSs revealed the use of LLPs for managerial discretions despite reduction in provisioning level noticeable during IFRS. The situation of Nigerian banks threatened by solvency risk use of LLPs for managerial discretions while attempting to increase profit was exemplified in the increase in ADLLP rather than TLLP. However, improvement was noticeable for risky Nigerian banks during IFRS. The managerial discretionary use of LLPs especially during IFRS was engendered by use of LLPs for capital management and earnings smoothing rather than earnings signalling as further revealed. This shows that adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards reduces reporting quality of Nigerian banks in their loan loss decisions.
 Originality/value of the article: The derivation of MDI from measures of earnings smoothing, capital management and earnings signalling is the study’s contribution to accounting for loan losses literature. The adjustments to LLPs to reduce variability of earnings, meet up with minimum regulatory bank capital adequacy ratio and signal strength to absorb future losses encapsulate earnings smoothing, capital management and earnings signalling respectively.
 Implications of the research:The discretionary use of LLPs found in this study beckons an increased level of surveillance, oversights and reforms on the part of the regulators for compliance level devoid of managerial opportunistic behaviour to be identifiablewith Nigerian banks.
 JEL: D22, G21, G28, L20, M41.

Examining the Impacts of Environmental Characteristics on Shariah-Based Bank’s Capital Holdings: Role of Country Risk and Governance Quality

This study investigates the effects of environmental characteristics, namely the quality of country-level governance and domestic risk on Islamic banking capital decisions. To do so, this study selects 29 listed Islamic banks operating in Arab markets for the wide range between the 2003-2018 period by performing the System-GMM dynamic panel technique. The results underscore that higher country-level governance quality is linked with higher capital ratios and Islamic banks increase capital ratios specifically by improving methods of anti-corruption, political stability, government effectiveness, and legal systems. Moreover, the results reveal that Islamic banks increase capital ratios by the rise of a country’s vulnerability, particularly by increasing financial and economic risks. However, the results suggest that decreasing political risk also corresponds with higher capital ratios. Overall, the results confirm that environmental characteristics have a pivotal role in determining Islamic bank capital ratios. The results are robust and the findings of this study are likely to open new discussions in the banking literature.

Investor Perception, Market Reaction, and Post-Issue Performance in Bank Seasoned Equity Offerings

Using a large sample of bank seasoned equity offerings (SEO) from 2002 to 2017, we first documented detailed descriptive statistics, and showed that nonperforming assets ratio, our primary measure of bank asset quality, reached the highest value immediately after the 2008 economic crisis, which also corresponds to a higher number of SEOs around these years because banks needed to recapitalize. The capital ratio, which is required to be at least at a minimum level (relative to risk-weighted assets) for banks by regulation, also increased after the economic crisis, which may be due to a higher requirement for banks as well as banks’ desire to hold more capital. The SEO announcement period abnormal stock-returns reached the lowest number around the economic crisis, as did the longer-run 6-month, post-SEO cumulative abnormal returns and buy-and-hold abnormal returns. Examining the differences between banks, we found, in both univariate and multivariate regression results controlling for other variables, that the bank capital ratio as at the time of the SEO announcement is significantly and positively associated with announcement period abnormal returns, while nonperforming assets ratio of the bank as at the time of SEO announcements is not. However, the nonperforming assets ratio as at the time of the SEO announcements had a significantly negative association with post-SEO, 6-month longer-run abnormal stock returns, while the capital ratio did not have any significant association. The nonperforming assets ratio as at the time of SEO announcement was also significantly and negatively related to bank return on assets 6 months and 12 months after SEO, while the capital ratio was not. Thus, investors appear to perceive a well-ingrained, well-publicized regulatory norm—the capital ratio—as indicative of value creation as at the time of bank SEO announcements, while loan asset quality, which may be relatively more opaque, may determine post-SEO performance.

Profit-Loss Sharing Financing and Stability of Indonesian Islamic Banking

The study analyzes the extent to which Profit-Loss Sharing (PLS) financings with some control variables influence the stability of Islamic banks. Because of different scheme financings between Musharakah and Mudarabah, we also split them. This study measures stability utilizing Z-score. We employ the Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model using monthly aggregate data of Islamic banks, covering from 2010:M1 to 2019:M12. This study is among studies who are pioneer in analyzing the role of PLS financing on stability. The findings shows that the PLS financings strengthen Islamic banks' stability for which Musharakah financing enhances the stability but Mudarabah financing weakens stability. Evidence also underlines that bank capital adequacy ratio (CAR) support stability but non-performing financing (NPF) and inefficiency lower stability. Macroeconomic conditions persistently support stability for which economic upturn fortifies stability but sharp depreciation weakens stability. This study implies that, in addition to Murabahah, Islamic banks have to diversify their financing on Musharakah.

Institutional Environment and Bank Capital Ratios: Empirical Evidence from SAARC Countries

: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the institutional environment on the capital ratios of banks operating in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) area. We apply the Hausman-Taylor methodology to unbalanced panel data of 145 banks (109 conventional and 36 Islamic banks) for the period 2010 to 2019. The findings demonstrate that banks with greater creditors’ rights have a low regulatory capital ratio. Similarly, banks are reluctant to hold a high regulatory capital ratio as a result of greater corruption perception. However, countries with more financial openness hold higher regulatory capital ratios to present greater financial strength. We also provide evidence that the impact of creditors’ rights is more distinct in conventional banks than in Islamic banks. Finally, we demonstrate that with more financial openness, small banks hold a higher regulatory capital ratio than large banks.

Factors Affecting Commercial Banks’ Capital Adequacy Ratios in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries

This study seeks to identify factors that influence bank capital adequacy ratios for a sample of consists of 62 commercial banks listed on the stock markets operating in GCC countries over the time between 2011 and 2018 was used. To deal with the problems of the data set, we utilize the PCSE method. The empirical results suggested that among the CAMELS model variables, capital ratio, management efficiency, earning capacity, liquidity management, and sensitivity have a positive statistical significant influence on bank capital adequacy ratios. In contrast, Asset quality, market concentration, and bank size have a negative effect on commercial banks' capital adequacy ratios. Concerning macro-economic variables, the empirical results suggested that economic growth and inflation rate influence bank capital adequacy ratios.