IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wbk/wbrwps/1900.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Determinants of commercial bank interest margins and profitability : some international evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Demirguc-Kunt, Asli
  • Huizinga, Harry

Abstract

Using bank data for 80 countries for 1988-95, the authors show that differences in interest margins and bank profitability reflect various determinants: bank characteristics, macroeconomic conditions, explicit and implicit bank taxes, regulation of deposit insurance, general financial structure, and several underlying legal and institutional indicators. Controlling for differences in bank activity, leverage, and the macroeconomic environment, they find (among other things) that: 1) Banks in countries with a more competitive banking sector--where banking assets constitute a larger share of GDP--have smaller margins and are less profitable. The bank concentration ratio also affects bank profitability; larger banks tend to have higher margins. 2) Well-capitalized banks have higher net interest margins and are more profitable. This is consistent with the fact that banks with higher capital ratios have a lower cost of funding because of lower prospective bankruptcy costs. 3) Differences in a bank's activity mix affect spread and profitability. Banks with relatively high non-interest-earning assets are less profitable. Also, banks that rely largely on deposits for their funding are less profitable, as deposits require more branching and other expenses. Similarly, variations in overhead and other operating costs are reflected in variations in bank interest margins, as banks pass their operating costs (including the corporate tax burden) onto their depositors and lenders. 4) In developing countries, foreign banks have greater margins and profits than domestic banks. In industrial countries, the opposite is true. 5) Macroeconomic factors also explain variation in interest margins. Inflation is associated with higher realized interest margins and greater profitability. Inflation brings higher costs--more transactions and generally more extensive branch networks--and also more income from bank float. Bank income increases more with inflation than bank costs do. 6) There is evidence that the corporate tax burden is fully passed on to bank customers in poor and rich countries alike. 7) Legal and institutional differences matter. Indicators of better contract enforcement, efficiency in the legal system, and lack of corruption are associated with lower realized interest margins and lower profitability.

Suggested Citation

  • Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Huizinga, Harry, 1998. "Determinants of commercial bank interest margins and profitability : some international evidence," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1900, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:1900
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/1998/03/01/000009265_3980429111510/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fabozzi, Frank J. & Thurston, Thom B., 1986. "State Taxes and Reserve Requirements as Major Determinants of Yield Spreads among Money Market Instruments," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(4), pages 427-436, December.
    2. Berger, Allen N, 1995. "The Relationship between Capital and Earnings in Banking," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 27(2), pages 432-456, May.
    3. Huizinga, Harry, 1996. "The incidence of interest withholding taxes: Evidence from the LDC loan market," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(3), pages 435-451, March.
    4. Boyd, John & Smith, Bruce, 1996. "The Coevolution of the Real and Financial Sectors in the Growth Process," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank Group, vol. 10(2), pages 371-396, May.
    5. Demirguc-Kunt, Ash & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 1996. "Stock Market Development and Financing Choices of Firms," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank Group, vol. 10(2), pages 341-369, May.
    6. Eijffinger, Sylvester C. W. & Huizinga, Harry P. & Lemmen, Jan J. G., 1998. "Short-term and long-term government debt and nonresident interest withholding taxes," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 309-334, June.
    7. Gorton, Gary & Rosen, Richard, 1995. "Corporate Control, Portfolio Choice, and the Decline of Banking," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(5), pages 1377-1420, December.
    8. Ross Levine, 1997. "Financial Development and Economic Growth: Views and Agenda," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(2), pages 688-726, June.
    9. Claessens, Stijn & Demirguc-Kunt, Asl[iota] & Huizinga, Harry, 2001. "How does foreign entry affect domestic banking markets?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 891-911, May.
    10. Talley, Samuel H. & Mas, Ignacio, 1990. "Deposit insurance in developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 548, The World Bank.
    11. Kolari, James & Mahajan, Arvind & Saunders, Edward M., 1988. "The effect of changes in reserve requirements on bank stock prices," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 183-198, June.
    12. Vittas, Dimitri, 1991. "Measuring commercial bank efficiency : use and misuse of bank operating ratios," Policy Research Working Paper Series 806, The World Bank.
    13. Stiglitz, Joseph E & Uy, Marilou, 1996. "Financial Markets, Public Policy, and the East Asian Miracle," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank Group, vol. 11(2), pages 249-276, August.
    14. Goldberg, Lawrence G. & Rai, Anoop, 1996. "The structure-performance relationship for European banking," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 745-771, May.
    15. Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Ms. Enrica Detragiache, 1997. "The Determinants of Banking Crises: Evidence From Developing and Developed Countries," IMF Working Papers 1997/106, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Gilbert, R Alton & Rasche, Robert H, 1980. "Federal Reserve Bank Membership: Effects on Bank Profits," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 12(3), pages 448-461, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Claessens, Stijn & Demirguc-Kunt, Asl[iota] & Huizinga, Harry, 2001. "How does foreign entry affect domestic banking markets?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 891-911, May.
    2. Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Huizinga, Harry, 2001. "The taxation of domestic and foreign banking," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(3), pages 429-453, March.
    3. Bashir, Abdel-Hameed M., 2003. "Determinants Of Profitability In Islamic Banks: Some Evidence From The Middle East," Islamic Economic Studies, The Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), vol. 11, pages 32-57.
    4. Esin Cakan, 2018. "Impact of Financial and Trade Openness on Financial Development in Emerging Market Economies: The Case of Turkey," American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, Science Publications, vol. 9(4), pages 71-80, March.
    5. Hermes, Niels & Lensink, Robert, 2000. "Financial system development in transition economies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 507-524, April.
    6. Catalan, Mario & Impavido, Gregorio & Musalem, Alberto R., 2000. "Contractual savings or stock market development - Which leads?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2421, The World Bank.
    7. Impavido, Gregorio & Musalem, Alberto R. & Tressel, Thierry, 2001. "Contractual savings institutions and banks'stability and efficiency," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2751, The World Bank.
    8. Clarke, George R. G. & Cull, Robert & D'Amato, Laura & Molinari, Andrea, 1999. "The effect of foreign entry on Argentina's domestic banking sector," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2158, The World Bank.
    9. Edward J. Kane & Tara Rice, 2001. "Bank Runs and Banking Policies: Lessons for African Policy Makers," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), vol. 10(suppl_1), pages 36-71.
    10. Mr. Ephraim W. Chirwa & Mr. Montfort Mlachila, 2002. "Financial Reforms and Interest Rate Spreads in the Commercial Banking System in Malawi," IMF Working Papers 2002/006, International Monetary Fund.
    11. Baishali Agarwal, 2016. "FII Inflows into Indian IPOs and its Impact on the Indian Stock Market," Emerging Economy Studies, International Management Institute, vol. 2(1), pages 129-144, May.
    12. Nacer Bernou & Mustapha Sadni Jallab, 2002. "Le commerce des services financiers dans le monde : un état des lieux," Post-Print halshs-00178172, HAL.
    13. Salvatore Capasso, 2006. "Stock Market Development and Economic Growth," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2006-102, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    14. Pasiouras, Fotios & Kosmidou, Kyriaki, 2007. "Factors influencing the profitability of domestic and foreign commercial banks in the European Union," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 222-237, June.
    15. Geert Bekaert & Campbell R. Harvey, 2000. "Capital Flows and the Behavior of Emerging Market Equity Returns," NBER Chapters, in: Capital Flows and the Emerging Economies: Theory, Evidence, and Controversies, pages 159-194, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Constanza Martínez Ventura, 2005. "Una revisión empírica sobre los determinantes del margen de intermediación en Colombia, 1989-2003," Revista ESPE - Ensayos sobre Política Económica, Banco de la Republica de Colombia, vol. 23(48), pages 118-183, Junio.
    17. Rubén Chavarín, 2020. "Risk governance, banks affiliated to business groups, and foreign ownership," Risk Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 1-37, March.
    18. Howard Bodenhorn, 2016. "Two Centuries of Finance and Growth in the United States, 1790-1980," Working Papers id:11352, eSocialSciences.
    19. Salvatore Capasso, 2006. "Stock Market Development and Economic Growth: A Matter of Information Dynamics," CSEF Working Papers 166, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    20. Usman Bashir & Zaheer Abbas & Muntazir Hussain, 2014. "The Effect of Foreign Bank Presence on Domestic Banks Performance: An Evidence from a Developing Economy," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 2(2), pages 36-50, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:1900. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Roula I. Yazigi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dvewbus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.