Banking Profitability and Efficiency in Emerging Economies

A special issue of Journal of Risk and Financial Management (ISSN 1911-8074). This special issue belongs to the section "Banking and Finance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2026 | Viewed by 7910

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Accounting, Finance and Economics, University of Greenwich, London, UK
Interests: financial markets; banking; time series econometrics

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Guest Editor
Business School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
Interests: macroeconomics; behavioral finance; behavioral economics; labour economics; economics of education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The banking sector is still the main source of debt financing in many emerging economies. The rapid economic growth of these economies in the last two decades has stretched the ability of local banks to meet the borrowing demand from households, firms, and governments. The recent economic downturn, due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of inflation, has led banks in emerging economies to be more selective in their lending policies in order to preserve their profitability. On top of that, the transition to a higher interest rate environment in developed economies has made the borrowing of financial resources in these markets more expensive for banks located in emerging economies. The determinants of profitability and cost-efficiency are some of the main drivers that inform the bank managements’ decision-making processes. It is therefore of paramount importance to identify these determinants of banking profitability, as well as the factors that impact banking efficiency. This would allow bank managers to measure their impact on banking profitability or efficiency indicators, as well as to implement policies that either mitigate or strengthen profitability and cost-efficiency in a rapidly changing macroeconomics environment. The number of single- or cross-country studies focusing on banking profitability and efficiency in emerging economies is still tiny relative to similar studies focusing on developed economies. Therefore, the goal of this Special Issue is to expand the current research, either in theoretical or empirical terms, by covering banking sectors located in emerging economies.

Dr. Francesco Guidi
Prof. Dr. Gabriella Cagliesi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • efficiency
  • profitability
  • data envelopment analysis
  • stochastic frontier analysis
  • structure–conduct–performance hypothesis
  • emerging economies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 296 KB  
Article
Between Stability and Exposure: The Dual Effects of Income Diversification on Bank Risk
by Aysa Siddika, Abdullah Sarwar, Mohammad Ali Tareq and Pallabi Siddiqua
J. Risk Financial Manag. 2025, 18(11), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm18110631 - 10 Nov 2025
Viewed by 2617
Abstract
The traditional role of banks as intermediaries has been transferred to a vast array of businesses, creating many sources of income. The present study examines the impact of income diversification on bank risk. A total of 565 commercial banks from 50 countries were [...] Read more.
The traditional role of banks as intermediaries has been transferred to a vast array of businesses, creating many sources of income. The present study examines the impact of income diversification on bank risk. A total of 565 commercial banks from 50 countries were examined. A dynamic panel data analysis using Maximum Likelihood with Structural Equation Modelling was performed. The study found that income diversification has no significant effect on risk-weighted assets, while it reduces the insolvency risk and liquidity risk of the bank. Multiple proxies were utilized to measure bank risk to increase the robustness of the study. The study stressed the importance of income diversification and efficient capital allocation across various investment projects to survive in a highly competitive environment. Overall, this study provides new insights into the contradictory relationship between income diversification and bank risk in the global context. This would assist in developing strategies and policies to reduce risk and increase stability in the banking sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Banking Profitability and Efficiency in Emerging Economies)
23 pages, 577 KB  
Article
Using Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution in Performance Evaluation in the Albanian Banking Sector
by Arianit Peci, Blerina Dervishaj and Adis Puška
J. Risk Financial Manag. 2025, 18(3), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm18030116 - 24 Feb 2025
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3482
Abstract
The banking sector plays a key role in the economic, social, and political development of a country. The study of the financial performance of banks is essential for investors, creditors, and other interested parties. The aim of this research was to rank the [...] Read more.
The banking sector plays a key role in the economic, social, and political development of a country. The study of the financial performance of banks is essential for investors, creditors, and other interested parties. The aim of this research was to rank the second-tier banks in Albania by financial performance using a fuzzy multi-criteria decision model (fuzzy MCDM). For the ranking of banks, eight financial criteria were taken into account during the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 for 11 banks in the Albanian banking sector. Based on the selected indicators, a decision-making model was created. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods were used in this research. The results of the FAHP method showed that the most important indicators are Equity and EBT. The results of the TOPSIS method showed that Banka Kombëtare Tregtare (BKT) had the best indicators for the observed years. The contribution of this research is in understanding the financial operations of banks in Albania. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Banking Profitability and Efficiency in Emerging Economies)
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