Does IT investment improve bank performance? Evidence from Europe

This paper investigates whether investment in information technology (IT) – hardware, software and other IT services – influences the performance of banks. Using a sample of 737 European banks over the period 1995–2000 we analyse whether IT investment is reflected in improved performance (measured using both standard accounting ratios and cost and alternative profit efficiency measures). Despite banks being major investors in IT we find little relationship between total IT investment and improved bank profitability or efficiency indicating the existence of a profitability paradox. However, the impact of different types of IT investment (hardware, software and services) on banks’ performance is heterogeneous. Investment in IT services from external providers (consulting services, implementation services, training and education, support services) appears to have a positive influence on accounting profits and profit efficiency, while the acquisition of hardware and software seems to reduce banks’ performance.     

Differential impact of Korean banking system reforms on bank productivity

We study the impact of banking system reforms during a crisis following a period of undisciplined lending. Regulatory changes aimed at strengthening the banks’ capital structure and risk management practices do not have a uniform impact on bank productivity, but rather favor financially sound or strategically privileged banks. We present evidence documenting the differential impact of regulatory reforms on Korean commercial bank productivity over the period 1995–2005. Average technical efficiency of banks decreased during the financial crisis of 1997–1998. It improved following the subsequent bank restructuring and continued to improve through 2005. The capital adequacy ratio is positively associated with banks’ technical efficiency. The non-performing loans ratio is negatively associated with technical efficiency. Both relationships are accentuated during the crisis but attenuated after the reforms.     

所有权结构对我国银行业绩的影响研究

本文运用我国29家银行2000-2010年业绩及所有权结构指标定量地衡量了所有权结构对银行的盈利能力、资产质量和净利润增长率产生的静态效应、选择效应和动态效应。研究结果表明,在静态效应方面,业绩最优的是城市商业银行;在选择效应方面,被选择进行股份制改革的银行之前业绩较差,被境外投资者选择的银行之前业绩则较好;在动态效应方面,股份制改革和公开上市有利于银行资本充足率的提升。最后本文提出发展城市商业银行体系、健全现代化经营管理体制、规范并加强资本充足率的管理、引入战略投资者以优化银行所有权结构、促进银行业绩增长等建议。     

地方政府干预、境外战略投资者引入与城市商业银行治理

本文以8家城市商业银行的42份年报作为研究样本,利用主元分析法实证研究了地方政府和境外战略投资者对城市商业银行公司治理的影响,及其作用于城市商业银行的具体机制。研究结果表明,地方政府对城市商业银行治理产生了负面影响,境外战略投资者在一定程度上抑制了地方政府对城市商业银行的干预,促进了城市商业银行治理的改善。为了提升城市商业银行公司治理水平,本文建议地方政府进一步退出城市商业银行,取消城市商业银行中境外战略投资者持股比例监管限制,鼓励外资派驻更多的董事和高管实质性参与城市商业银行的经营管理。     

How banks go abroad: Branches or subsidiaries?

We examine the factors influencing international banks’ organizational form, using an original database on the operations in Latin America and Eastern Europe of the world’s top 100 banks. We find that banks are more likely to operate as branches in countries that have higher taxes and lower regulatory restrictions on bank entry and on foreign branches. Subsidiary operations are preferred by banks seeking to penetrate host markets by establishing large retail operations. Finally, economic and political risks have opposite effects, suggesting that legal differences in parent banks’ responsibilities associated with branches and subsidiaries are important determinants of banks’ organizational form.     

Do banks overstate their Value-at-Risk?

This paper is the first empirical study of banks’ risk management systems based on non-anonymous daily Value-at-Risk (VaR) and profit-and-loss data. Using actual data from the six largest Canadian commercial banks, we uncover evidence that banks exhibit a systematic excess of conservatism in their VaR estimates. The data used in this paper have been extracted from the banks’ annual reports using an innovative Matlab-based data extraction method. Out of the 7354 trading days analyzed in this study, there are only two exceptions, i.e. days when the actual loss exceeds the disclosed VaR, whereas the expected number of exceptions with a 99% VaR is 74. For each sample bank, we extract from historical VaRs a risk-overstatement coefficient, ranging between 19 and 79%. We attribute VaR overstatement to several factors, including extreme cautiousness and underestimation of diversification effects when aggregating VaRs across business lines and/or risk categories. We also discuss the economic and social cost of reporting inflated VaRs.     

Systemic risk contributions: A credit portfolio approach

We put forward a framework for measuring systemic risk and attributing it to individual banks. Systemic risk is coherently measured as the expected loss to depositors and investors when a systemic event occurs. The risk contributions are calculated so as to ensure a full risk allocation among institutions. Applying our methodology to a panel of 54–86 of the world’s major commercial banks for a 13-year time span with monthly frequency not only allows us to closely match the list of G-SIBs; we can also use individual risk contributions to compute bank-specific surcharges: systemic capital charges as well as countercyclical buffers. We therefore address both dimensions of systemic risk – cross-sectional and time-series – in a single integrated approach. As the analysis of risk drivers confirms, the main focus of macroprudential supervision should be on a solid capital base throughout the financial cycle and de-correlation of banks’ asset values.     

Do the equity holding and soundness of bank underwriters affect issue costs of SEOs?

This paper examines the effects of characteristics of bank underwriters on issue costs in seasoned equity offerings in Japan following deregulation in 1999. I find that banks’ holding loans have a negative effect on price discounts and no effect on underwriting fees. However, banks’ equity holdings have no effect on discount rates and a positive effect on underwriting fees. Furthermore, issuers with unhealthy banks pay higher discount rates, are more likely to be weak in their ex-post operating performance, and are less willing to switch underwriters. I conclude that the characteristics of banks have different effects on issue costs.     

Bank ownership,privatization, and performance: Evidence from a transition country

This paper combines the static effect of ownership and the dynamic effect of privatization on bank performance in China over 1995–2010, reporting a significantly higher performance by private intermediaries – joint stock commercial banks and city commercial banks – relative to state-owned commercial banks. However, publicly traded banks, subject to multiple monitoring and vetting in capital markets, perform better regardless of ownership status. The privatization of banks has improved performance with respect to revenue inflow and efficiency gains in the short- or long-run (initial public offerings). The positive long-run effect is more relevant and significant for banking institutions with minority foreign ownership. Moreover, this paper innovatively estimates interest income efficiency and non-interest income efficiency at the same time. The results suggest that Chinese banks are much more efficient in generating interest income than raising non-interest revenue, although the latter aspect has improved significantly during the sample period.     

引入外国战略投资者对城商行贷款行为的影响研究

利用中国城市商业银行2005-2011年非平衡面板数据,通过倍差法（DID）估计引进外国战略投资者政策对我国城市商业银行贷款行为的净效应.研究结果发现,我国城市商银行引进外国战略投资者政策提高了单一最大客户贷款比例和存贷比率,同时降低了城市商业银行的不良贷款率.这表明,引进外国战略投资者有助于提高了城市商业银行的资产质量,降低了“惜贷”水平.