MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING STATE BANK OF VIETNAM BANKING UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY NGUYEN THI MINH THU FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROFITABILITY OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN VIETNAM FROM 2009 – 2018 GRADUATE THESIS MAJOR: FINANCE - BANKING CODE: 52340201 SUPERVISOR MSC. VU THI HAI MINH HO CHI MINH CITY, 2020 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING STATE BANK OF VIETNAM BANKING UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY NGUYEN THI MINH THU FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROFITABILITY OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN VIETNAM FROM 2009 – 2018 GRADUATE THESIS MAJOR: FINANCE - BANKING CODE: 52340201 SUPERVISOR MSC. VU THI HAI MINH HO CHI MINH CITY, 2020 i ABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis is to provide an analysis of factors affecting the profitability of 28 commercial banks in Vietnam from 2009 to 2018 using Pooled OLS, FEM, REM, FGLS methods. The scope of the study is to aim at finding and analyzing the degree of impact of specific bank factors, industry-specific factors and macro-economic factors on the profitability of 28 commercial banks in Vietnam.
The study cannot avoid the limitations because of the selection may not fully reflect the content and the meaning of all factors affect profitability or may not fully represent all commercial banks in Vietnam. Understanding the factors influencing the performance of the bank not only receives much attention from scholars, but also from shareholders, administrators and authorities, because it assists policy makers and administrators in formulating strategies and policies to ensure the stability and sustainability of banking system's operation, as well as to avoid the risk of banking system crisis. Assessing the profitability of a commercial bank always raises questions, because of their diversity. Many researchers consider that profitability can provide a picture of the bank's business results.
Obtained result showed that ROA of commercial banks in Vietnam was affected positively and statistically significant by bank size, equity ratio, loan ratio, deposit ratio, income diversification ratio, credit growth rate and GDP; while non- performing loan, operating cost and exchange rate have negative impact on ROA. In contrast, liquidity, credit to GDP and inflation do not affect ROA and are not statistically significant. Keywords: commercial banks, profitability, ROA, bank size, non- performing loan, equity ratio, liquidity ratio, loan ratio, deposit ratio, income diversification ratio, operating cost, credit to GDP, credit growth rate, GDP, inflation, exchange rate. ii SUMMARY International economic integration is an indispensable trend and an objective requirement for any country in the current development stage.
However, this process, in addition to creating certain advantages and opportunities for the country participating in the integration, also put these countries before significant difficulties and challenges. The roadmap of international economic integration puts enterprises of developing countries in general, the commercial banking system in particular and the new business environment with fierce competition pressures, unbalanced competitors. Currently, Vietnam is a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank and the Joint Forum Economic Cooperation Asia-Pacific, ASEAN. Vietnam participates in multilateral free trade agreements with ASEAN countries, South Korea, Japan and China.
Vietnam has also signed with Japan a bilateral economic partnership agreement. For banking and monetary system, the integration process is associated with the process of liberalizing financial market, bringing many opportunities, but also many challenges. From that practice, this thesis will analyze and introduce factors affecting the efficiency in the operation of Vietnam’s commercial banking system in the current integration period, especially the factors affecting the profitability of commercial banks in Vietnam, from which to give practical recommendations to improve the operational efficiency of commercial banking system, is an urgent issue. This thesis analyses factors affecting the profitability of 28 commercial banks in Vietnam from 2009 to 2018 using regression methods such as Pooled OLS, FEM, REM, FGLS; thereby provide some recommendations to improve the profitability of commercial banks in Vietnam.
In order to further analyze the impact of Vietnam's macro environment and banking industry on the profitability of Vietnamese commercial banks, the author decided to consider three more independent variables, namely exchange rate, credit iii to GDP and credit growth rate along with two familiar macro factors which are inflation and GDP growth. The table below summarizes related previous studies and theoretical framework of this thesis.1: Related previous studies and theoretical framework Theory/Related previous Previous studies and Subjects are mentioned studies related law, decree - Law: Consolidated documents No. 20/2018/VBHN-NHNN, the State Bank of Vietnam Definition of commercial - Previous studies: Getter, Commercial banks banks (2016), Tariq et al. (2014), Tuyishime et al.
(2015), Kalpana & Rao (2017), Mongid et al. (2012), Erina & Lace (2013) Wang & Wang (2015), Bikker & Vervliet (2017), Iacobelli (2017), Yuksel et al. (2018), Muya & Definition of bank Gathogo (2016), Niresh & profitability Velnampy (2014), Profitability Sehrish, Irshad & Khalid (2010), Pastory & Marobhe (2015), Kohler (2013) Book: Principals of Measurement finance, Scott, B. (2015) It explains the profit of firms to be increased from Market power theory Bain (1951) the achievement of more market power It explains other aspect of bank profitability which Efficiency theory can be generated from Demsetz (1973) better management and business efficiency This theory focuses on the Agency cost theory Jensen & Meckling use of financing structure iv of the firms to drive the managers and the investors to solve free cash flow issues This theory emphasizes that the firms with profitable condition and high business Arrow (1972) and Spence Signaling theory performance can supply (1973) the market and the customers with positive information Almaqtari et al.
(2018), Yao et al. (2018), Yuksel et al. (2018), Kawshala & Panditharathna (2017), Nuhiu et al. & Noor-Mohamad-Noor, A.
(2008) Nguyen (2018), Nguyen et al. (2018), Le et al. (2017), Phan & Phan (2014), Vo & Batten National studies (2014), Vu & Nahm (2013), Nguyen Thanh Phong (2015), Phan Thi Hang Nga (2011) Source: Author’s synthesis The research model proposed specifically as follows: ROAit = 𝛽O + 𝛽1SIZEit + 𝛽2NPLit + 𝛽3LIQit + 𝛽4EQRit + 𝛽5LOANit + 𝛽6DEPit + 𝛽7IDRit + 𝛽8OPRit + 𝛽9CRDt + 𝛽1OCGRt + 𝛽11GDPt + 𝛽12INFt + 𝛽13ERt + µi Where: βo : constant term β1, ., β14: Regression coefficients for the independent variables i: bank; t: year of observation; μi: error term/ residual term Dependent variables: ROA: return on assets (%) Independent variables (bank-specific factors): SIZE: bank size (billion VND) NPL: non-performing loan (%) LIQ: liquidity ratio (%) v EQR: equity ratio (%) LOAN: loan ratio (%) DEP: deposits ratio (%) IDR: income diversification ratio (%) OPR: operating cost ratio (%) Independent variables (industry-specific factors): CRD: credit to GDP CGR: credit growth rate Independent variables (macro-economic specific factors): INF: inflation GDP: gross domestic product ER: exchange rate between VND and USD The thesis performs: (1) Descriptive statistics; (2) Correlation analysis; (3) Model estimation (Pooled OLS, FEM, REM); (4) Model choice (Between Pooled OLS and FEM, between FEM and REM); (5) Model diagnostics (Autocorrelation diagnostics, multicollinearity diagnostics, heteroskedasticity diagnostics); (6) Model fix; (7) The prediction of residuals; (8) Normality test of residuals. The result of model choice analysis showed that both FEM and REM were more appropriate than Pooled OLS.
Furthermore, FEM was proven as more appropriate than REM. However, the author identified that there was autocorrelation issue in the dataset. The result of heteroskedasticity check revealed that FEM model did face up with this issue. To fix the model problems, the author conducted FGLS regression technique and here is the result: ROAit = O.
O31288 ERt vi However, while some independent variables are in line with the expectations of the author, there are some independent variables that contrary to the author's initial expectations. Detailed is shown as below: Table 0.2: Expectations and research results of independent variables Expected Code Description Results signs SIZE Bank size + + NPL Non-performing loan - - LIQ Liquidity ratio - No impact EQR Equity ratio + + LOAN Loan ratio + + DEP Deposit ratio + + IDR Income diversification ratio + + OPR Operating cost ratio - - CRD Credit to GDP + No impact CGR Credit growth rate + + GDP Gross domestic product growth + + INF Inflation rate - No impact ER Exchange rate between VND and USD - - (Source: Author’s synthesis) Based on the research results, the author will provide some recommendations in chapter 5 to improve commercial banks’ profitability, thereby helping policy makers to easily control and optimize the profitability of commercial banks. vii DECLARATION I hereby declare that the graduate thesis is my original work, written by me under the guidance of Ms. Vu Thi Hai Minh and it has not been presented for examination in anywhere else.
The data and sources cited in the thesis have been duly acknowledged. I take full responsibility for my pledge. Author Nguyen Thi Minh Thu vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is my radiant sentiment to place on record my best regards, deepest sense of gratitude to my supervisor at Banking University in Ho Chi Minh City - Ms. Vu Thi Hai Minh, for her patience, motivation, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge.
She has wholeheartedly helped and guided me in the process of writing this thesis. I choose this moment to acknowledge her contribution as she has been supportive of my study and has actively provided me with enormous information to achieve the goal. Also, I would like to thank all of my friends, who always support and help me through the study together with the inspiration they gave me. Author Nguyen Thi Minh Thu ix ABBREVIATION LIST Abbreviation Meaning FEM Fixed effect model FGLS Feasible Generalized Least Squares GDP Gross domestic product INF Inflation MARG Net financing margin NIM Net Interest Margin NOVX Non-interest expenses to average total assets Pooled OLS Pooled Ordinary Least Squares REM Random effect model ROA Return on asset ROCE Return on capital employed ROE Return on equity Std.
Standard Deviation VIF Variance Inflation Factors x LIST OF TABLES Table 0.1: Related previous studies and theoretical framework.2: Expectations and research results of independent variables.1: Summary of studies on the impact of factors affecting bank profitability .2: Limitation of empirical research.1: Summary of debt groups.2: Variables used in the model.3: Pooled OLS output.6: Model choice between Pooled OLS and FEM.7: Model choice between FEM and REM.11: Cross-sectional time-series FGLS regression.12: The prediction of residuals.13: Normality test of residuals.1: List of commercial banks selected for the research.xxxiii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.2: ROA trends of Vietnamese commercial banks during 2009-2018.33 xi LIST OF PICTURES Picture 1: Descriptive statistics.xlv Picture 2: Correlation analysis.xlvi Picture 3: Pooled OLS output. xlvii Picture 4: FEM output. xlviii Picture 5: REM output. xlix Picture 6: Model choice between Pooled OLS and FEM.xlix Picture 7: Model choice between FEM and REM.l Picture 8: Autocorrelation diagnostics.li Picture 9: Collinearity diagnostics.li Picture 10: Heteroskedasticity diagnostics.lii Picture 11: FGLS output.lii Picture 12: The prediction of residuals.lii Picture 13: Normality test of residuals.lii xii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.viii ABBREVIATION LIST.
ix LIST OF TABLES. x LIST OF FIGURES. x LIST OF PICTURES. xi TABLE OF CONTENTS.xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.
Background of the study. Objectives of the study. Subject and scope of the study. Subject of the study.
Scope of the study. Significance of the study. Structure of the study.4 xii CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BASIS AND LITERATURE REVIEW. Theoretical basis about commercial bank.
Theoretical basis about commercial bank profitability. Definition of bank profitability. The indicators reflect the profitability of commercial banks. Return on Assets - ROA.
Return on Equity - ROE. Net Interest Margin - NIM. Factors affecting commercial bank profitability. Market power theory.
Agency cost theory. Previous studies’ gap and summary. Previous studies’ gap.28 CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 2. ROA trends of Vietnamese commercial banks during 2009-2018.
Non-performing loan ratio (NPL). Income diversification ratio (IDR). Operating cost ratio (OPR). Credit to GDP ratio (CRD).
Credit growth rate (CGR). Annual GDP growth rate (GDP). Foreign exchange rate (ER). Proposed research model and hypotheses.
Pooled ordinary least square (Pooled OLS). Fixed effect model (FEM). Random effect model (REM).45 CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 3.45 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND FINDING.