Abstract:This paper examines the impact of bank revenue diversification on the performance of banks in an emerging economy. Using a unique dataset with detailed information on noninterest income, our findings show that, conversely to studies on Western economies, a shift towards non-interest activities increases bank profits and risk-adjusted profits particularly when they are more involved in trading in government securities. Our results also indicate that foreign banks benefit more from such a shift than their domestic counterparts. Moreover, we account for the institutional and regulatory environment advocating loans to SMEs and find that higher involvement in non-interest activities is only beneficial for banks with low exposures to SMEs. Our findings have important policy implications in terms of achieving optimal diversification and lower risk exposure, which might conflict with policies aiming to promote SME lending.JEL Classification: G21, G28

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of minority foreign ownership on the risk taking behavior and performance of domestic banks in a country where foreign ownership restrictions are imposed. Design/methodology/approach – Mainly controlled by family business groups, the authors examine the extent by which the presence and the level of foreign ownership and voting rights affect domestic bank behavior. Findings – The results show that compared with those purely domestic-owned, banks with foreign shareholdings have lower levels of insider lending and have higher loan portfolio quality. Moreover, the authors find an increase in foreign voting rights effective in raising risk-adjusted returns and in lowering default risk. This positive effect on performance, however, ceases at higher levels of control manifested by the majority domestic shareholder. Research limitations/implications – Overall, this study shows that there are significant benefits derived from minority foreign shareholder presence in Philippine domestic banks. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the debate of whether it may be beneficial to reduce or completely lift the foreign ownership restrictions imposed on the banks in the country.

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