MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & TRAINING THE STATE BANK OF VIETNAM BANKING UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY TRAN HUYNH THANH HUY THE IMPACT OF INCOME DIVERSIFICATION ON PROFITABILITY AND RISK OF VIETNAMESE COMMERCIAL BANKS MASTER THESIS Major: Finance – Banking Code: 8 34 02 01 HO CHI MINH CITY, 2024 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & TRAINING THE STATE BANK OF VIETNAM BANKING UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY TRAN HUYNH THANH HUY THE IMPACT OF INCOME DIVERSIFICATION ON PROFITABILITY AND RISK OF VIETNAMESE COMMERCIAL BANKS MASTER THESIS Major: Finance – Banking Code: 8 34 02 01 SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN THI MY HANH, PhD HO CHI MINH CITY, 2024 i AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I hereby confirm that this thesis entitled “The impact of income diversification on profitability and risk of Vietnamese commercial banks”, is my own work, and none of this work has been published before submission. Ho Chi Minh City, 2024 TRAN HUYNH THANH HUY ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In order to research this topic completely, the author would like to express the sincerest gratitude to the supervisor who has dedicated and worked with the author throughout the research process. In addition, the author also would like to express the deepest gratitude to staff, lecturers teaching much useful knowledges as well as helping me have a better preparation for this study in Banking University Ho Chi Minh City. However, with limited knowledge and limited time, the topic cannot avoid mistakes.
Hence, I look forward to receiving guidance and comments from the lectures to complete and improve my thesis. Thank you very much! AUTHOR TRAN HUYNH THANH HUY iii TÓM TẮT LUẬN VĂN Tiêu đề: Tác động của đa dạng hóa thu nhập đến khả năng sinh lời và rủi ro của các ngân hàng thương mại Việt Nam Tóm tắt: Đề tài nghiên cứu phân tích tác động của đa dạng hóa thu nhập đến lợi nhuận và rủi ro của các ngân hàng thương mại Việt Nam trong giai đoạn 2012- 2022, với bộ dữ liệu bảng thu thập từ 29 ngân hàng thương mại tại Việt Nam 2012- 2022. Thông qua việc kiểm tra các khuyết tật của mô hình với một số bài kiểm định liên quan, mô hình GMM được xác định là phương pháp hồi quy phù hợp nhất để đo lường hiệu quả của việc đa dạng hóa thu nhập ảnh hưởng đến lợi nhuận và rủi ro của các ngân hàng thương mại. Kết quả từ dữ liệu bảng cho thấy, càng đa dạng hóa hoạt động, các ngân hàng càng thu được nhiều lợi nhuận và ít rủi ro hơn, từ đó, dẫn đến việc tăng cường hiệu quả kinh doanh và giảm thiểu rủi ro.
Đặc biệt, những kết quả này có thể là thông tin hữu ích để các nhà quản lý ngân hàng, hoặc các cơ quan liên quan khác có chiến lược tốt hơn nhằm tối ưu hóa lợi nhuận cho ngân hàng; cũng như đóng góp cho các nghiên cứu thực nghiệm sau này. Từ khóa: đa dạng hóa thu nhập, khả năng sinh lời, rủi ro, ngân hàng. iv ABSTRACT Title: The impact of income diversification on profitability and risk of Vietnamese Commercial Banks Research summary: The study analyzes the impact of income diversification on profitability and risk of Vietnamese commercial banks by using the collected panel data of 29 Commercial Banks over the period of 2012 to 2022. Also, the study uses quantitative methods to test the impact of income diversification on profitability and risk of commercial banks.
By checking defects of the model with some relevant test, GMM model is the most appropriate regression methods to measure how efficiency the income diversification impacting on profitability and risk of commercial banks. The results of the panel data present that the more diversification the banks operate, the more profitability and the less risk the banks gain, consequently, leading to increase the efficient business and minimize risk. Especially, these results can be helpful information for bank managers, or other related agencies to have better strategies to optimize profitability for banks; as well as to contribute to future empirical studies. Keywords: income diversification, profitability, risk, bank.
v TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTHOR’S DECLARATION .ii TÓM TẮT LUẬN VĂN. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS. v LIST OF TABLES. viii LIST OF PICTURES.
Rationale of the study. Significance of the research. Income diversification in banking performance. Portfolio diversification theory.
Financial theory and income diversification. Income diversification affecting profitability. Income diversification affecting risk. 25 CONCLUSIONS OF CHAPTER 2.
RESEARCH METHOD AND DATA. 43 CONCLUSIONS OF CHAPTER 3. The reality of income diversification on profitability and risk at vietnamese commercial banks. Estimation results and discussion.
The impact of income diversification on profitability. The impact of income diversification on risk. 61 CONCLUSIONS OF CHAPTER 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
Limitations and future research directions. vi viii LIST OF TABLES Table 2. Summary of studies about income diversification affecting profitability. Summary of studies about income diversification affecting risk.
Types of descriptive statistics. Summary of variables. Correlation coefficient matrix between variables. Multicollinearity with VIF.
The test result of OLS, FEM, REM for the ROA model. The test result of heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation, endogeneity for the ROA and ROE model. The GMM test result for the ROA and ROE model. The regression results of ROA and ROE model.
The last regression results of independent and controlling variables. The summary test result of OLS, FEM, REM for the ZScore model. The test result of heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation, endogeneity for the ZScore model. The GMM test result for the ZScore model.
The regression results of ZScore model. The last regression results of independent and controlling variables .65 LIST OF PICTURES Picture 4. The income diversification and profitability of Vietnamese commercial banks 2012 - 2022. The income diversification and risk of Vietnamese commercial banks 2012 - 2022.
Rationale of the study It is likely apparent to say that commercial banks are the most important intermediary financial institutions in the market economy because if the banking system did not exist, it would be a troublous sequence in the market economy. In addition, commercial banks are the most appropriate institutions to implement the monetary policies from Central Bank, helping the macro economy as well. According to DeYoung & Roland (2001), since the XXI century, it is global tendency to diversify banks due to competitive pressure or being attracted by profit from financial activities. In addition, in a period between 2006 – 2007, an explosion of stock market as well as investment operation generates a large amount of returns for participants.
Therefore, more and more financial institutions have established many subsidiaries to gain as many as returns in financial environment. That is a reason why Vietnamese commercial banks focus more in this diversification tendency which pay more attention on investing on non-interest income generating activities, diversifying business fields, products, and services, while traditional activities are too risky and unstable. However, according to McKibbin & Fernando (2021), some global crisis has challenged seriously the global economy with the latest crisis - the Covid-19 pandemic According to Le et al. (2022), it is worth noting that the banking sector's profitability may decline while the associated risk may rise during epidemic periods due to measures such as social distancing, lockdowns, heightened unemployment, and business closures.
According to traditional operations, credit activities is a main source generating revenues in the bank, but credit activities are uncertain and risky. That is a reason why in reality, many banks went bankruptcy due to their bad debts. With non-performing loans ratio exceeding the permitted level of 4-5%, commercial banks are no longer lucrative and gradually lose their own capital. Moreover, according to some previous stastistics, incomes generating from traditional activities of most commercial banks in the world took up two thirds of their total incomes, while it generates approximately 90% of income of Vietnamese commercial banks.
2 Furthermore, incomes of most Vietnamese commercial banks are generated from credit acitivies that are known as risky ones. Hence, Vietnamese commercial banks are necessary to shift to different activities in order to reduce risk pressure on banks. Besides, according to Feyen et al. (2021), with the Covid-19 pandemic, financial principles, policies, as well as traditional operation have currently faced many challenges, and therefore, banks around the world have been implementing a variety of measures about income diversification to minimize financial difficulties in the market.
Besides, it is fiercer competition among banks since foreign commercial banks are allowed to open 100% foreign owned banks in Vietnam as well as the number and size of financial institutions have increased significantly recently. This competition has made the marginal income more narrow generating from credit activities. If financial institutions with main incomes from credit activities want to survive, develop, achieve higher profit, and construct a stable position, they should diversify types of services to keep income stable. Research on the impact of income diversification on the profitability of commercial banks is conducted worldwide, with variations observed in different regions, and Vietnam is no exception.
In Vietnam, certain studies have suggested that a higher degree of income diversification is associated with increased profitability. For example, Vinh & Mai (2015) conducted an analysis of 37 commercial banks in Vietnam from 2006 to 2013, concluding that banks engaged in a wider range of operational activities tend to achieve greater profits. Conversely, banks relying heavily on income diversification may experience a reduction in risk- adjusted profitability. The empirical findings from their research challenge the notion that income diversification universally benefits commercial banks in the Vietnamese context.
Furthermore, another study conducted by Le et al. (2022) explored the imcome diversification influencing the risk of Vietnamese commercial banks during the period of non - Covid-19 pandemic and Covid-19 pandemic from 2012 to 2020. The results indicated that an increase in income diversification corresponds to a decrease in the risk of default. Additionally, the research outcomes highlighted the 3 research observed a tendency for the default risk of banks to decrease amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The question of whether income diversification in recent years has yielded the potential and optimal advantages for Vietnamese commercial banks, and how to effectively implement income diversification to ensure a stable increase in profits and a reduction in risk, is a matter that warrants in-depth research. However, in Vietnam, there is a limitation of studies that comprehensively investigate the impact of income diversification on the profitability and risk management of Vietnamese commercial banks. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has compelled banks to undertake various measures to minimize its shadow over multiple economic dimensions including encompassing business closures, limited growth opportunities, and placed immense pressure on enterprises grappling with their debt obligations. Furthermore, due to government-mandated forbearance regulations, the pandemic has induced an economic downturn, exerting pressure on the lending activities of banks.
Additionally, due to the "Restructuring of Credit Institutions for Bad Debt Resolution in the 2021-2025 Period," as approved by the Prime Minister via Decision No. 689/QĐ-TTg on June 8, 2022, Vietnamese commercial banks are actively working on diversifying their income sources. This involves venturing into non- traditional sectors and expanding their traditional activities, such as capital mobilization and lending, to generate income beyond interest, further enhancing income diversification. Hence, to address this concerning issue, the author decides to choose the topic: "The impact of income diversification on profitability and risk of Vietnamese Commercial Banks".
Research objectives General Objectives The overall objective of the study is to research and analyze the impact of income diversification on the profitability and risks of Vietnamese commercial banks over period between 2012 – 2022. Then, the author will make some 4 recommendations to improve business performance of Vietnamese commercial banks. Specific objectives • Evaluating the impact of income diversification on profitability of commercial banks in Vietnam including the Covid-19 pandemic.