BANKING ACADEMY ADVANCED PROGRAM * * * GRADUATION THESIS THE EFFECTS OF MONETARY POLICY ON BANK PROFITABILITY IN VIETNAM BEFORE AND DURING THE COVID19 PANDEMIC Student : Phạm Phương Trang Class : K23CLC-NHA Faculty : Banking Stu. ID : 23A4050449 Supervisor : PhD. Đỗ Thu Hằng Hanoi, May 6th 2024 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all those who have supported and contributed to the completion of this thesis. First and foremost, I am immensely grateful to my supervisor, Dr.
Do Thu Hang, for the guidance, expertise, and unwavering support throughout this research journey. Her invaluable insights, constructive feedback, and encouragement have been instrumental in shaping the direction and quality of this thesis. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the members of the Banking faculty of Banking Academy of Vietnam for their dedication to education and their commitment to fostering a stimulating academic environment. Their passion for knowledge and their willingness to share their expertise have greatly enriched my learning experience.
My sincere thanks go to my friends and family for their constant love, understanding, and encouragement. Their unwavering support, both emotionally and practically, has been a source of motivation and strength throughout this challenging process. Finally, due to the limitations of both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, there may be some shortcomings in this article. I sincerely hope to receive feedback and suggestions to further improve the quality of this writing.
I sincerely thank you! Hanoi, May 6th 2024 Student Pham Phuong Trang ii DECLARATION Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Do Thu Hang for her dedicated guidance and knowledge transfer. The student conducted the thesis titled "The Effects of Monetary Policy on Bank Profitability in Vietnam before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic" under the enthusiastic supervision of Dr. Do Thu Hang.
With the knowledge gained and practical applications acquired during the study period at the Banking Academy, along with relevant articles, research papers, and reference materials, the author has completed this thesis. The author solemnly declares that this thesis is my own work and is not copied from any other sources. The data and research findings presented are honest and truthful with complete citations. I declare that this Graduation Thesis has been composed solely by myself and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree.
I take full responsibility for this statement of authenticity. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.
Scope of research. 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. Factors affecting bank profitability. Empirical Studies Review.
49 CHAPTER 3: DATA AND METHODOLOGY. Variables in the research model. 64 CHAPTER 4: EMPIRICAL RESULTS. Vietnam’s banking industry analysis.
Regression model results. Consumer price index (INF). GDP growth rate (GDP). Credit Growth rate (CG).
Lending interest rate (LR). Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR). Loan-to-deposit Ratio (LDR). Nonperforming Loans Ratio (NPL).
Macroeconomic policy recommendations. Monitor and Anticipate inflationary trends. Support Economic Policies for Sustainable Growth. Encourage diversified lending portfolios.
Strengthen Monetary Policy. Bank-specific recommendations. Emphasize customer-centric approach. Optimize capital allocation.
Regularly assess and address liquidity risks. Defuse the NPL time bomb. 122 v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviation Word in full form ARDL AutoRegressive Distributed Lag CAR Capital Adequacy Ratio CPI Consumer Price Index D-SIBs Domestic systemically important banks EU European Union FEM Fixed Effects Model GDP Gross Domestic Product GMM Generalized Method of Moments IMF International Monetary Fund JSCB Joint Stock Commercial Bank LDR Loan-to-deposit Ratio MP Monetary policy NIM Net interest margin Ratio NPL Nonperforming Loan Ratio OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OLS Ordinary Least Square OMO Open Market Operations REM Random Effects Model vi ROA Return-on-assets Ratio ROAE Return on average equity Ratio SBV State Bank of Vietnam G-SIBs Global systemically important banks ROE Return-on-equity Ratio UK United Kingdom USA The United States of America US vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page Table 2.1: Summary of the effects of bank-specific and 47 macroeconomic factors on bank profitability from previous literature Table 3.1: Compilation of variables used in the thesis 53 Table 3.2: Expected results of variables upon bank 62 profitability Table 4.1: Summary of descriptive statistics 83 Table 4.2: Correlation matrix 85 Table 4.3: Summary of regression model results for factors 86 influencing ROA Table 4.4: Results of testing the suitability of Pooled OLS 88 and REM models Table 4.5: Results of testing the suitability of REM and FEM 88 models Table 4.5: Results of the Durbin-Wu-Hausman test 89 Table 4.6: Actual results of variables on bank profitability 92 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 3.1: Research model 52 Figure 3.2: Research method framework 60 Figure 4.1: Vietnam’s annual GDP Growth rate 66 Figure 4.2: Annual Inflation as measured by CPI of Vietnam 68 Figure 4.3: Vietnam's Domestic Credit Growth rate 69 Figure 4.4: Vietnam’s Money Supply M2 Growth rate 71 Figure 4.5: Vietnam’s Lending interest rate 74 Figure 4.6: Total Assets of Vietnam’s Banking System 75 Figure 4.7: CAR of Vietnam’s Banking System 76 Figure 4.8: ROA of Vietnam’s Banking System 79 Figure 4.9: ROE of Vietnam’s Banking System 80 ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale Monetary policy is a crucial factor in shaping a country's financial landscape, with potential implications for various sectors, including the banking industry.
The impact of monetary policy on bank profitability has garnered significant attention from researchers and policymakers alike (Borio et al. This importance is particularly evident in the context of the COVID- 19 pandemic, which has presented unprecedented challenges to economies worldwide, including Vietnam. Vietnam, like many other nations, has been grappling with the economic consequences of the pandemic. Financial markets have been disrupted, business dynamics have shifted, and banks' financial health has been strained.
In response, policymakers have implemented various monetary policy measures to mitigate the impact and support economic recovery. However, it remains crucial to investigate the effectiveness of monetary policy in sustaining bank profitability in Vietnam. Research in this specific area has been challenging due to the complexity of monetary policy transmission mechanisms and the nuances of the Vietnamese banking system. Furthermore, the availability of high-quality, detailed data on Vietnamese bank financials and monetary policy variables has historically been limited, posing methodological obstacles for researchers.
Consequently, the academic literature addressing this topic in the Vietnamese context remains scarce, despite its significance for policymakers and bank managers in understanding the broader implications of monetary policy decisions. Further research in this field could provide valuable insights to support the continued development and stability of the Vietnamese banking sector. There have been several studies looking into the impacts of monetary policy on bank profitability, but because this is a rarely studied area (e., Flannery, 1981; Hancock, 1985; Samuelson, 1945), there is no clear consensus among researchers on whether monetary policy has a positive, negative, or no influence on banking 1 performance (Kumar, Acharya, and Ho, 2020). It is relatively rare to find research focused on the effect of monetary policy on bank profitability in the context of Vietnam (Nguyen et al.
This is because the Vietnamese banking sector, while rapidly growing, is still developing and undergoing structural changes. Much of the existing research on the Vietnamese banking industry has tended to focus on more fundamental issues, such as the impact of banking sector reforms (Nguyen et al., 2020), the role of state-owned banks (Farrell and Quang, 2019), and the challenges of financial inclusion (Hoang and Hoffman, 2020). This research will contribute to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the effects of monetary policy on bank profitability in Vietnam. It aims to shed light on the specific challenges faced by banks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the findings of this study may have implications for policymakers, aiding in the formulation of effective monetary policy measures to support bank profitability and overall economic stability in Vietnam. Research objectives The research objective is to examine the impact of monetary policy on the profitability of banks in Vietnam, considering the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be achieved by analyzing annual data from 13 joint stock commercial banks operating in Vietnam over a 10-year period from 2014 to 2023. The specific aims of the study are as follows: ● Analyze the relationship between monetary policy variables, including lending interest rates and money supply, and bank profitability indicators, specifically return on assets (ROA).
● Assess the impact of monetary policy on bank profitability in Vietnam during the pre-pandemic period, considering the stability and performance of banks in a relatively normal economic environment and examine how the relationship between monetary policy and bank profitability in Vietnam has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking into account the unique challenges and disruptions faced by the banking industry during this period. 2 ● Identify any significant differences in the effects of monetary policy on bank profitability between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, considering ban-specific factors and overall economic conditions. ● By providing empirical evidence and valuable insights, this research aims to enhance our understanding of the relationship between monetary policy and bank profitability in Vietnam. The findings will serve as a foundation for the author to offer recommendations to policymakers and banks.
These recommendations will enable policymakers to formulate effective measures that support bank profitability and enhance overall financial stability in the country. Overall, the study aims to provide valuable insights into the effect of monetary policy on bank profitability in Vietnam. By considering the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research seeks to offer a comprehensive understanding of how monetary policy influences bank profitability, both in normal economic conditions and during periods of crisis. Subsequently, thorough analysis and suggestions will be provided to improve the implementation of monetary policy by the central bank and operational policies by commercial banks.
Research questions ● What is the nature of the effects of monetary policy on bank profitability in Vietnam? ● To what degree has the influence of monetary policy on bank profitability in Vietnam been? ● To what extent did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the relationship between monetary policy and bank profitability in Vietnam? ● What recommendations are necessary to enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy implementation by the central bank and operational policies by commercial banks in Vietnam? 3 1. Scope of research Scope of space: The thesis focuses on researching micro and macro- economic factors relating to 13 joint-stock commercial banks out of a total of 14 important banks in the system in 2024, based on Decision 538/QĐ-NHNN issued by the State Bank of Vietnam. Despite being listed among the banks mentioned in the Decision, the author decided to exclude Agribank from the research scope due to its distinct status as a state-owned commercial bank. Unlike the other 13 notable banks, Agribank is not listed on the stock exchange.
Consequently, this bank has limited availability of disclosed information, which does not align with the research objectives, among other factors. Spatial Scope: The thesis focuses on researching annual data of the above banks, over a period of 10 years from 2014 to 2023. The spatial scope is broad enough to give the author the most comprehensive view of the research issue before and after the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in Vietnam, without being overly biased towards any particular phase. Methodology Qualitative method: Statistical methods are applied to illustrate the influence of monetary policies on bank profitability.
Thus, the author provides an overview of the effects, examining the dependencies at play and formulates recommendations. Quantitative method: Regression model for panel data is conducted to inspect the impacts of monetary policies on bank profitability. Alongside, the research also tests Random Effects Model (REM), Fixed Effects Model (FEM) and Hausman test to investigate the significance between the dependent and independent variances, thus determining the suitable model for the research.