MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH UNIVERSITY OF BANKING GRADUATE THESIS THE IMPACT OF INCOME DIVERSIFICATION ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN VIETNAM MAJOR: FINANCE – BANKING CODE: 7 34 02 01 PHAN NGOC MAI ANH HO CHI MINH CITY, 2023 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH UNIVERSITY OF BANKING GRADUATE THESIS THE IMPACT OF INCOME DIVERSIFICATION ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN VIETNAM MAJOR: FINANCE – BANKING CODE: 7 34 02 01 Student name: PHAN NGOC MAI ANH Student code: 030135190027 Class: HQ7-GE06 ADVISER DR. NGUYEN MINH NHAT HO CHI MINH CITY, 2023 i ABSTRACT This study focuses on examining the relationship between income diversification and financial performance of Vietnamese commercial banks. The data used for this study collected from the financial statements of 26 Vietnamese commercial banks during 2012 - 2022. The study applies several research models, such as Pooled OLS model, FEM model, REM model, and GMM models to conduct data analysis.
In addition to determining the impact of income diversification on the financial performance of Vietnamese commercial banks, the study also conducted additional research on the effect of a few other factors on financial performance such as bank size (SIZE), equity to total assets ratio (CAP), deposits to total assets ratio (DTA), loans to total assets ratio (LTA), provision for loans to customers to total assets ratio (LLP), economic growth rate (GDP) and inflation rate (INF). The research results show that macroeconomic variables (GDP, INF) and equity to total assets ratio (CAP) in bank – specific variables have no impact on the financial performance of Vietnamese commercial banks during 2012 – 2022. After analyzing data, the author concludes that income diversification contributes to increasing the financial performance of commercial banks. In addition, the expansion of bank scale combined with an increase in lending activities has a positive effect on financial performance.
At the same time, banks should combine controlling the customer's deposit ratio and reducing provision for loans to customers ratio to maximize their financial performance. Keywords: income diversification, commercial banks, Vietnam. ii DECLARATION As the author of this thesis, I declare that the following are: Full name: Phan Ngoc Mai Anh Student class: HQ7 – GE06, Faculty of Finance of Banking, Ho Chi Minh University of Banking. Student code: 030135190027 I declare that the thesis with the title “The impact of income diversification on financial performance of commercial banks in Vietnam” is the author's own research work, the research results are truthful, and there is no content that has been previously published or content made by others except for fully cited citations in the thesis.
The author undertakes to take full responsibility for this statement. Sincerely Ho Chi Minh City, September, 2023 Author Phan Ngoc Mai Anh iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During the process of writing and completing my graduation thesis, I would like to sincerely express my deep gratitude to Dr. Nguyen Minh Nhat wholeheartedly guided and helped. In addition, I would like to sincerely thank the teachers of Ho Chi Minh University of Banking dedicatedly taught and guided throughout the study and research process.
But due to limited knowledge, the thesis cannot avoid shortcomings, so I hope to receive more comments and help from teachers so that I can further improve the thesis. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. viii LIST OF TABLES .ix LIST OF GRAFICS.
Reasons for choosing the study. The research subject and scope of study. Subject of the study. Scope of the research.
Contributions of the research. Disposition of the dissertation. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND REVIEW OF PREVIOUS EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES. Review of income diversification.
The benefits of income diversification on financial performance of commercial banks. Income diversification metrics. Review of financial performance. Financial performance metrics.
Factors affecting the financial performance of commercial banks. The internal (bank-specific) factors. An overview of previous studies. Review of foreign researches.
Review of domestic researches. Research variables metrics. The research data. The research methodology.
EMPIRICAL RESULTS ANALYSIS. Descriptive statistical analysis. Correlation matrix analysis. The analysis of regression results.
Selection of estimation method. Heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation testing. The results of overcoming the research model by FGLS method. Endogenous variables testing.
GMM Regression Model Method. Summarizing and discussing research results. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. Suggestions and recommendations.
Increasing income diversification to improve financial performance. Expanding bank scale. Continuing to maintain loan activities and improving credit quality. Controlling customer deposit ratio.
Controlling the credit risk provision ratio of commercial banks. Limitations of the graduate thesis and direction for future research. Limitations of the graduate thesis. Direction for future research.
v viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Number Acronym Meaning 1 CAP Equity to total assets ratio 2 DTA Deposit to total assets ratio 3 DIV Income diversification 4 INF Inflation rate 5 FEM Fixed Effects Model 6 FGLS Feasible Generalized Least Squares 7 GDP Economic growth rate 8 GMM Generalized method of moments 9 LLP Provision for loans to customers to total assets ratio 10 LTA Loan to total assets ratio 11 NIM Net Interest Margin 12 OLS Ordinary Least Square 13 SGMM System generalized method of moments 14 SIZE Bank size 15 REM Random Effects Model 16 ROA Return on assets 17 ROE Return on equity 18 VIF Variance Inflation Factors ix LIST OF TABLES Table 2. Summary of related studies. Statistics of expected signs of variables in the research model. Statistical results of variables used in the research method.
Correlation coefficients between research variables. Results of multicollinearity test. Results of Pooled-OLS, FEM and REM. Selection of method.
Modified Wald test. Wooldridge test results. FGLS model troubleshooting results. Endogenous and exogenous variables in the research model.
GMM endogenous test results. Summarizing and discussing research results. 59 x LIST OF GRAFICS Graph 3. Reasons for choosing the study The conventional knowledge in the banking industry is that diversification improves financial performance by reducing volatility in commercial banks financial returns.
This trend started in the 2000s, commercial banks around the world tend to diversify their operations due to competitive pressure or are attracted by profits from financial investment activities (DeYoung & Roland, 2001). Fierce competitive pressure has led banks to shift from interest income to non-interest income in order to continue to maintain their position and increase bank profitability. The Covid – 19 pandemics have affected the global economy, production and business activities of organizations, etc. This indirectly affects the business activities of some banks.
In addition, Vietnamese banks mainly conduct over-the-counter transactions, so during the pandemic, banks' transaction activities encountered difficulties, thereby affecting banks' profits. Accompanied by difficulties in Vietnam's legal barriers. The State Bank issued strict regulations to strictly control credit activities of commercial banks. When facing difficulties in lending activities, banks tend to implement income diversification strategies to reduce the dependence of financial performance on traditional credit activities and limit risks for the bank, especially liquidity risk.
However, in the world today there are two opposing views on the impact of income diversification on the financial performance of banks. One view is that a bank's income will increase if it has income diversification activities and at the same time the bank can minimize cyclical risks, helping the bank limit its dependence on financial market fluctuations. Studies supporting this hypothesis include: Elsas et al. (2010); Gurbuz et al.
(2013); Meslier; Lee et al. (2014); Moudud-Ul-Huq et al. The second view is that income diversification will reduce profits and increase the level of risk for banks. Studies by DeYoung & Rice (2004); Stiroh & Rumble (2006); Lepetit et 2 al.
(2008) argue that income diversification activities will incur many conversion costs, increase risks and reduce banks' profits. In Vietnam, many authors also conducted studies on the impact of income diversification on the financial performance of banks and two opposing views appeared. On the one hand, the studies of Minh & Canh (2015); Vinh & Mai 2015; Hau & Quynh 2016) showed that income diversification increases income and has a positive impact on financial performance of commercial banks. On the other hand, the results of the studies Vinh & Mai (2015); Hau & Quynh (2017) show that income diversification reduces income and negatively affects the financial performance of commercial banks in Vietnam, while also increasing the risk of banks.
Through empirical studies on income diversification at commercial banks, it can be said that researchers in Vietnam have not reached a consensus on the impact of income diversification on financial performance. Therefore, there is no accurate conclusion about the benefits of income diversification for banks. On the other hand, due to many fluctuations in the economy, the data and research scope in both space and time have not been updated yet. Therefore, the research topic "THE IMPACT OF INCOME DIVERSIFICATION ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN VIETNAM" is necessary to supplement the theoretical basis as well as provide empirical evidence on the impact of income diversification on financial performance at Vietnamese commercial banks as well as identifying factors affecting income diversification at Vietnamese commercial banks.
From there, helping Vietnamese commercial banks have a basis to implement appropriate income diversification to improve the financial performance of banks. General Objectives Examining the impact of income diversification on financial performance of Vietnamese commercial banks, thereby proposing some implications for application solutions for managers of Vietnamese commercial banks in order to obtain the best benefits through income diversification. Specific Objectives From the above general objectives, the author has given some specific goals: Firstly, identifying and evaluating the impact of income diversification on financial performance based on quantitative analysis models. Secondly, after determining the level of influence, the study will propose some solutions and recommendations to improve and enhance financial performance based on income diversification activities of commercial banks of Vietnam in the near future.
Research questions What is the correlation between income diversification and financial performance of Vietnamese commercial banks? In addition to income diversification, what factors affect the financial performance of Vietnamese commercial banks? Which are the optimal solutions to improve the financial performance of Vietnamese commercial banks? 1. The research subject and scope of study 1. Subject of the study The impact of income diversification on financial performance of commercial banks in Vietnam. Scope of the research Scope of time The data for the research is collected from 2012 to 2022.
The author chose to conduct the survey during this period because the commercial banking system in 4 Vietnam experienced the America – China trade war event in 2018. Then came the recession period and most recently in the year. 2020 – 2021 commercial banks are affected by the Covid – 19 pandemics. Therefore, the financial performance of commercial banks during this time will have many fluctuations.
Scope the space The authors use data from 26 joint-stock commercial banks in Vietnam (out of a total of 31 joint-stock commercial banks operating in Vietnam) to analyze the impact of factors affecting financial performance. The reason for choosing 26 banks is because these banks are listed on the stock market, so they have censored data before publication and full financial data over the years so that the authors can be currently analyzed. In addition, these banks are listed, so the total market share of these banks accounts for the majority of the banking industry in Vietnam and is representative enough for the entire banking system. Research methodology To solve the research objectives, this study combines both research methods, which are qualitative research methods and quantitative research methods.