​Wednesday
19.9.2012
at 10.30

Dr. Xiaoqing (Maggie) Fu (University of Macau): Bank Competition and Financial Stability in Asia
Pacific

Bank Competition and Financial Stability in Asia Pacific
Xiaoqing (Maggie) Fu, Yongjia (Rebecca) Lin and Philip Molyneux

Abstract
Bank competition is at the center of the academic and policy debate regarding financial stability. The recent financial crisis further demonstrates the urgent need to address the trade-offs between bank competition and financial soundness. Using data on 14 Asia Pacific economies from 2003 to 2009, this study investigates the influence of bank competition, concentration, regulation and national institutions on individual bank fragility as measured by the probability of bankruptcy and the bank’s Z-score. The results suggest that greater concentration fosters financial fragility and that lower pricing power also induces bank risk exposure when macroeconomic, bank-specific, regulatory and institutional factors are controlled for. In addition, there is no evidence that shows that larger banks in this region could better diversity their portfolios. Finally, the results indicate that better institutional development and stringent capital requirements improve financial stability, whereas property rights and deposit insurance are associated with greater bank fragility.

JEL classification: G21, G28
Keywords: Bank competition; Financial stability; Banking regulation, Banks in Asia Pacific
 

BOFIT seminars
The seminars are open to all economists interested in the subject areas covered.
You need to pre-register for the seminar with
Ms Liisa Mannila  (firstname.lastname@bof.fi, phone  + 358 10 831 2268). 

Seminar will be held at Rauhankatu 19, 3rd floor seminar room (arrive at the Bank's Rauhankatu 19 entrance, from where you will be escorted to the BOFIT seminar room).