出版社:Institute of Economics and Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia
摘要:This paper provides empirical evidence on the determinants of net interest margins in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern European countries (CESEE) during the period 1999–2009, with a particular focus on the relationship between banking sector competition and net interest margins. Using country-level Panzar-Rosse H-statistic estimates as a measure of competition, and the General Method of Moments, it has been determined that banking sector competition had a negative impact on net interest margins. In order to check for consistency, alternative measures of competition, such as the Lerner index and the Herfindahl-Hirschman index, have also been used. The results appear consistent and suggest that higher market power is associated with higher interest margins. A number of interactions have been used to check for the impact of competition when interacted with other variables. The study also provides evidence on the impact of other bank-specific, macroeconomic, and institutional variables on net interest margins.
关键词:bank competition; net interest margins; Panzar-Rosse H-statistic; General Method of Moments