BANKING ACADEMY ADVANCED PROGRAM THESIS OF GRADUATION FACTORS AFFECTING CREDIT RISK - IMPRACTICAL EVIDENCE IN VIETNAMESE COMMERCIAL BANKS Student name: Hoang Thi Thien Trang Class: K22CLCA Faculty: Banking Student Code: 22A4011452 Supervisor: Assoc. Nguyen Thuy Duong Hanoi, 2023 ABSTRACT In the context that the economy has many strong fluctuations due to the influence from the world, banks as well as businesses are gradually restoring production and business activities after the pandemic, non performing have become the major challenge that jeopardises the banking industry. The purpose of this scholar thesis is to investigate the factors affecting credit risks in Vietnam commercial banks. To better understand the hidden aspects of these factors, this research employs a panel approach and dynamic data estimates through Generalised Methods of Moments using data of 24 commercial banks in Vietnam between 2015 and 2022.
This literature contends that GDP growth rate, exchange rate, inflation, unemployment, bank size, bank diversification and bank performance are the primary factors of credit risk in Vietnam commercial banks. This research is motivated by the changes around the credit quality deterioration situation of commercial banks, the backbone role of the banking system in the Vietnamese economy and with the target to provide new impractical evidence and insight on this distress. Studies reveal that the macroeconomic environment and bank-specific factors, with interesting contrasts in their quantitative consequences, may predict credit risk most well. There are significant theoretical and practical contributions in this paper.
It provides compelling information regarding the early warning signs of potential problematic loans. Identification of these elements would assist regulators in developing adequate credit policies, addressing suitable actions, and adopting revised prudential rules. Additionally, it equips the regulatory authorities with a thorough understanding of the factors that influence credit risk, enabling them to prioritise risk management practices and systems that reduce default rates in order to prevent future financial instability. Our findings demonstrate the need of closely observing bank-specific issues as well as strengthening country level strategies to lower banks' credit risk.
i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT During my time at Banking Academy, I desire to express appreciation for the support and consideration that received from the Banking Faculty, as well as the all lecturers across the board at the institution. I am delighted to my friends Giang Thu, Phuong Linh, Quynh Khanh & Lan Phuong who have given me a lot of tutoring assistance and spiritual support throughout the whole four years of study. I would like to express my genuine and heartfelt gratitude to Assoc. Nguyen Thuy Duong who mentored me wholeheartedly throughout the implementation and completion of this research.
The research was carried out in a limited time, so errors could not be avoided. Through this, in order to improve my research, I look forward to hearing from the public through comments and contributions. Thank you sincerely! Hanoi, 23th May 2023 Student Hoang Thi Thien Trang ii LIST OF ACRONYMS Abbreviations Definition FEM Fixed Effects Model REM Random Effects Model GMM Generalised Methods of Moments OLS Ordinary Least Squares NPL Non Performing Loans LLC Loan Loss Coverage ROA Return on Assets NIM Net Interest Margin ROE Return on Equity CAR Capital Adequacy Ratio ICOR Incremental Capital Output Ratio SBV State Bank of Vietnam FSI Financial Soundness Indicators GDP Gross Domestic Production GNP Gross National Production VAMC Vietnam Asset Management Company iii LIST OF TABLES Figure 1: Descriptive statistic for the sample period 2015 - 2022 .21 Figure 2: Description of the determinants of credit risk, their proxies, symbols and a representative sample of their use in the literature .32 Figure 3: Non performing loan and loan loss coverage ratio 2016 – 2021 .35 Figure 4: Non performing loans ratio 2022 .37 Figure 5: The ratio of real estate outstanding to total outstanding loans.38 Figure 6: Pearson's pairwise correlation matrix .39 Figure 7: Variance inflation factor (VIF) .40 Figure 8: Panel unit root test results .41 Figure 9: Results of Hausman, White and Modified Wald tests of model with dependent variable LLC .43 Figure 10: Test results for endogenous variables of the model with dependent variable LLC .44 Figure 11: Summary results of OLS, FEM and REM of model with dependent variable NPL .45 Figure 12: Results of Hausman, White and Modified Wald tests of model with dependent variable NPL .45 Figure 13: Test results for endogenous variables of the model with dependent variable NPL .46 Figure 14: Regression analyses using GMM estimation techniques .48 iv TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT. ii LIST OF ACRONYMS.
iii LIST OF TABLES. Research on commercial bank’s credit risk. Research on factors affecting commercial bank’s credit risk. Objectives of the thesis.
Research object and scope. Definition of credit risk. Indicators to evaluate credit risk of commercial banks. Non Performing Loans (NPL).
Loan Loss Coverage Ratio (LLC). Factors affect credit risk in commercial bank. Bank specific factors .15 CHAPTER 2: DATABASE AND METHODOLOGY. Sample and data sources.
Bank specific factors .28 CHAPTER 3: EMPIRICAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Credit risk in Vietnam commercial banks 2015 - 2022. Analyse correlation coefficients between variables. Panel unit root tests.
Dynamic Panel Data Two-Steps System GMM Estimation Method .48 CHAPTER 4: Conclusion and recommendation. Improve resilience to volatile macroeconomic situation. Control the size of the commercial bank. Improving profitability of commercial banks.
Promoting non-interest revenues. Completely settle outstanding bad loans. Literature review Since its establishment and development, the banking industry has always demonstrated their imperative and key role in macro stability and major balances of the economy (Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, 2022). This influence is reflected in the function of leading capital for households and businesses, contributing to promoting economic restructuring.
Specifically, commercial banks operate with the three most important functions: payment intermediaries, credit intermediaries and money creation functions. In which, the bank's operations are mainly based on providing capital mobilised from unemployed funds to entities in need of capital. This is also the activity that brings the largest proportion of revenue in the Vietnam commercial banking system. Nevertheless, these days commercial banks have to face many problems such as poor asset quality, high bad debts, obstacles in the credit process, leading to the deterioration in credit quality, or credit risk.
A rising proportion of non performing loans in the loan portfolio not only exerts financial destabilisation, erodes the ability of banks to withstand unexpected changes in the macroeconomic situation, but jeopardises the stability of the banking system as well as the whole country. Therefore, credit risk is always the crucial concern of commercial banks as well as economic policy makers. However, in the face of constant fluctuations of the political and economic situation, bad debt remains as an unresolved distress. The aggregated non performing loans is regarded as a sign of deeper trouble, harming not only creditors but also destroying the development potential of the economy.
Besides, the global economy is entering the recovery phase post-COVID 19 pandemic. The rapid growth recovery has pushed the world's leading economies into the highest inflation period in 40 years, strongly affecting Vietnam. Under the complicated inconstancy of the global financial market, credit growth in Vietnam's banking market slowed down, leading to an increase in overdue debts and group transfer debts, increasing the level of non performing loans. In the context of the complex and unfavourable world economy, along with the importance of the commercial banking system, the author aims to identify factors 1 affecting credit risks at commercial banks in Vietnam.
Therefore, the author decided to choose the topic: Factors Affecting Credit Risk - Impractical Evidence In Vietnamese Commercial Banks. With this topic, the author hopes to explore the factors affecting as well as trends affecting credit risks in banks to serve as a foundation for making proposals and recommendations for commercial banking organisations and the State Bank to improve the internal capacity of banks as well as stabilise the macroeconomy. There is a wide range of research shed light on risks arising from credit activities in the commercial banks. These researches fall into many perspectives.
The first trend is the paper of aspects of risk management in commercial banking, including the impact on profitability, measurement or management processes. The next trend identifies which determinants affect a bank's credit quality, thereby indicating the direction of influence and making necessary recommendations. Research on commercial bank’s credit risk Anh, Pham. (2022) conducted the study "Completing the legal framework on credit risk management for off-balance sheet activities at Vietnamese commercial banks".
The study focuses on the regulations of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) on risk management activities at commercial banks. At the same time, the author also provides new insight on the current status of this regulation on the part of the State Bank as well as the situation of maintaining off-balance sheet credit risk management activities from Vietnamese commercial banks. In addition, the author also makes proposals to complete the legal framework on credit risk management for off-balance sheet activities at Vietnamese commercial banks. Another approach comes from Nhung, Nguyen.
(2023) discussing the role of credit risk assessment tools at Vietnamese commercial banks. The literature used primary data combined with descriptive statistical methods based on comparative statistical analysis techniques. The research results illustrate that there is still a large part of people who have not fully used the factors of the 5C model for credit analysis. The inadequacy of inputs in the analytical model results in reducing the reliability of credit risk assessment results for borrowers.
From here, the author also proposes solutions to assist commercial banks overcome this limitation. Research on factors affecting commercial bank’s credit risk The next trend is the study of factors affecting credit risk at the commercial bank. Amit Ghosh's research paper (2015) drew attention to the links between bank characteristic factors, regional economic indicators, macroeconomic indicators and credit risk at banks in the US States. The author integrates FEM and Dynamic GMM models to address the absence of autocorrelation and endogenous variables.
Thus, the estimated results are ensured to be solid and effective. The fixed effect models suggest that greater credit growth and loan loss provision raise NPL meanwhile greater bank profitability, which is conveyed by ROA causes the negative effect. Bank diversification yielded the opposite of predictions as the higher proportion of non-interest income brings more risks for commercial banks. Aside from the findings supporting FEM results, the systems-GMM estimation provides certain evidence that is more reliable than the fixed effects results.
In particular, equity-to-total assets have a strong impact on deterioration on credit risk at banks. This result complements the "too big to fail" hypothesis. The size of the banking industry also has a positive relationship with the dependent variable. Turning to the regional economic variables, they exhibit the same sign and significance in both fixed effects results and GMM estimations.
To be more specific, a rise of GDP and personal income growth rates will mitigate the bank's credit risk variable. The unemployment rate also shows a similar relationship with NPL. However, the inflation variable in GMM changes sign and is positively significant. In addition, to provide a comparative perspective, the author also presents the results for savings institutions using both the fixed effects and GMM estimations.
In the same line with Amit Ghosh's study, another research was conducted by Khan, M. (2017) attempted to find out the link between bank specific determinants including income diversification, profitability, capitalization and operating efficiency and loan loss rate of commercial banks in Pakistan. With a collected dataset spanning the period between 2005 and 2017, the scholar claims that capital loss rate reacts negatively when interest income or bank profits soar. However, bank capitalization is what differentiates from its predecessor, which demonstrates that the larger the bank capitalization, the smaller the likelihood of risk.
3 In an identical research area, Ahmed et al. (2021) used GMM models to study the Impact of Bank Specific and Macroeconomic Factors on Non-Performing Loans between 2008 and 2018.