Technology gaps in European banking: Put the blame on inputs or outputs?

This paper investigates the production efficiency of 12 European banking systems over the period 1997–2004, taking into account possible technology heterogeneity. Using a non-parametric metafrontier framework, efficiency and metatechnology ratio measures are computed and decomposed into input- and output-invariant components. Empirical findings indicate the existence of significant and rather increasing technology heterogeneity within European banking. A typology of the national banking systems is also developed, based on the overall productive performance with respect to the European technological edge, the absorptive capacity and the role of knowledge spillover effects. Decomposition results draw attention to catching up policies focusing on input and/or output scale adjustments.     

Financial liberalization and banking crises in emerging economies

Financial liberalization often leads to financial crises. This link has usually been attributed to poorly designed banking systems, an explanation that is largely static. In this paper we develop a dynamic explanation, by modelling the evolution of a newly-liberalized bank's opportunities and incentives to take on risk over time. The model reveals that even if a banking system is well-designed, in the sense of having good long-run properties, many countries will enjoy an initial period of rapid, low-risk growth and then enter a period with an elevated risk of banking crisis. This transition emerges because of the way in which the degree of foreign competition, the marginal product of capital, and the bank's own net worth simultaneously evolve.     

Financial reforms in Chinese banking: The impact on personal lending and operational efficiency

The Chinese financial system has historically been one of secrecy, distrust, and corruption. The process does not align with the western standards of transparency and auditing. In contrast to the transaction-based business culture of the West, Chinese business society is relationship-based (quanxi), which still seems to play a key role in the credit decision. With the growth of the emerging middle class, access to financial instruments such as credit cards, life insurance, stock purchases, and the like will play a greater role in the life of the Chinese consumer. Based on these forecasts, the authors recommend seven actions to manage financial activities in China, all of which are explored within this article.     

国有商业银行上市对银行业效率水平的影响——基于Malmquist生产率指数的实证分析

文章基于我国15家各类性质银行在1996-2010年经营效率数据基础上,利用数据包络分析法(DEA),对我国银行1996-2010年经营效率进行总体评价与分析,报告了我国银行业务经营效率水平。通过应用Malmquist生产率指数对银行业务经营效率变动得进行了调查和测量,结果反映了银行上市后银行业效率提高幅度明显,尤其是国有银行进步最快,但我国商业银行普遍存在规模报酬递减的状况,需要进一步提高规模报酬。从动态上看,我国银行业1996-2003年全要素生产率总体上出现小幅的下降,但2004年以后,随着国有银行逐步上市,我国银行业全要素生产率得到了稳步的提升。笔者认为我国银行需不断拓展表外业务、提高日常管理水平、吸收更多高学历人才和增加新兴技术的自主创新。     

The Panzar–Rosse revenue test and market power in banking

The Panzar–Rosse H statistic is a commonly used measure of market power in banking. It is widely believed that $H>0$ is inconsistent with significant market power. This study rigorously disproves that perception. Instead, the possibility of $H>0$ under conditions of substantial market power turns out robust to the timing of banks’ actions, relative costs, choice of strategic variable, degree of product differentiation, strategy (static or dynamic), and degree of heterogeneity in banks’ conduct (collusive versus fringe), and hence may be common in practice.     

财政存款、银行竞争与僵尸企业形成

银行以优惠利率贷款为低质企业“输血”,是企业僵尸化的重要成因。然而,基于中国背景的文献,对银行“输血”动机的研究并不充分,本文从地方财政存款影响银行信贷分配的视角,分析僵尸企业形成的内在机理。首先,通过构建理论模型对银行竞争财政存款及影响企业融资和投资绩效进而僵尸化的逻辑进行刻画,而后依据省份财政存款、银行竞争与微观企业财务数据,对理论推论进行了验证。研究发现,财政存款占当地存款比重越大,企业僵尸化概率越高,并且银行竞争助长了企业僵尸化。此外,基于工具变量估计处理了核心变量的内生性问题,并进行了多种稳健性检验。机制检验表明,财政存款的信贷分配效应,促使企业过度投资,导致经营绩效恶化,进而提高了企业僵尸化概率,银行竞争则会加剧该效应。本文拓展了财政存款的经济效应与僵尸企业形成方面的文献,对于僵尸企业治理有一定参考意义。     

Interbank contagion and resolution procedures: inspecting the mechanism

This paper develops a network model of a stylized banking system in which banks are connected to one another through interbank claims, which allows us to study the diffusion of default avalanches triggered by an exogenous shock under a number of different assumptions on the degree of interconnectedness, level of capitalization, liquidity buffers, the size of the interbank market and fire-sales. We expand upon the existing literature by comparing two alternative resolution mechanisms: (i) liquidations triggered by either illiquidity or insolvency-related distress implying asset sales and compensation of creditors; and (ii) a bail-in mechanism avoiding bank closure by forcing a recapitalization provided by bank creditors. Our model speaks to how contagion dynamics unravel via illiquidity-driven defaults in the first case and higher-order losses in the latter one. Within this framework, we show how the liquidity risk externality can be resolved, and we put forward a macro-criterion to assess the adequacy of the liquidity ratio introduced with Basel III.     

Impact of the Financial Crisis on Banking Acquisitions: A Look at Shareholder Wealth

This paper examines the influence of the 2007–08 financial crisis on value creation for acquirer’s shareholders in the banking industry using a sample of 883 deals over 2004–12. Applying an exploratory and top-down approach, banking acquisitions are considered at the global level, narrowing the analysis step by step to consider domestic versus cross-border acquisitions. Then cross-border deals are split based on the economic development of the acquirer and target countries. It is observed that only acquisitions involving emerging-economy acquirers and developed-economy targets generate positive and significant returns to shareholders after the crisis. Major changes in the global acquisition landscape are also observed since 2007, with emerging-economy banks increasing their acquisition activity, both nationally and internationally.     

中国银行业创值能力分析--EVA体系对银行经营绩效的考察

中国经济要保持高速、稳定增长,需要进一步提高经济效率,实现质量型增长.其中,关键是资金效率.中国资金运用效率的高低很大程度上取决于占社会资金78%以上的银行业的资金效率.为此,本文应用EVA分析体系来综合系统地分析中国银行业的绩效.分析结果显示,上市银行虽然好于非上市银行,但由于国有商业银行的比重较大,银行业整体创值能力明显较弱.建议以提高国有商业银行资金运用效率为当下改进社会资金运用效率的切入口.