Drivers and Obstacles to Banking SMEs: The Role of Competition and the Institutional Framework

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are important for employment and economic activity; however, they are perceived to lack adequate financing, which hampers their growth. As a consequence, governments have implemented a number of programs to foster SME lending and attention has focused on improving the institutional environment, such that the financial system is more willing to lend to SMEs. In this paper, we directly ask banks (the main providers of SME external finance) what factors they perceive as drivers and obstacles to financing SMEs. We also study to what degree competition and the institutional framework play a role in banks’ decisions. To do so, we use a unique survey of banks in Argentina and Chile, two neighboring emerging countries with significant differences in how their institutional environments are viewed, and thus expected to shape banks’ willingness to deal with SMEs. The paper shows that, despite alleged differences in the countries’ environments regarding rules, regulations, institutions, and ease of doing business, SMEs have become a strategic segment for most banks in both countries. In particular, banks have begun to target SMEs due to the significant competition in the corporate and retail sectors. They perceive the SME market as highly profitable, large, and with good prospects. Moreover, banks are developing coping mechanisms to overcome the particular institutional obstacles present in each country and to compete for SMEs. Banks’ interest in SMEs is not based on government programs, yet policy action might help reduce the cost of providing financing, especially long-term lending.small and medium enterprises, bank finance, financial constraints, banking market structure, institutional factors, regulation, competition

A framework for analyzing competition in the banking sector : an application to the case of Jordan

Asli Demirguc-Kunt; María Soledad Martínez Perí

The mix of international banks'foreign claims: determinants and implications

This paper analyzes the determinants and implications for financial stability of the mix of international banks¿ claims countries receive. In particular, we distinguish between local claims, extended by international banks through their affiliates in a host (or claim recipient) country, and cross border claims, booked from outside the host country, typically from banks¿ headquarters in their home countries. Using data on US, Spanish, and Italian banks¿ foreign claims across countries, we find that the share of local foreign claims is primarily driven by the degree of "freedom" in the host banking sector and by business opportunities in the local market. Entry requirements, startup and informational costs associated with international banking also play a role, but their influence is less robust. Finally, we find that the mix of international bank claims has implications for financial stability, since foreign claim volatility is lower in countries that receive a larger share of local claims

The mix of international banks'foreign claims: determinants and implications

This paper analyzes the determinants and implications for financial stability of the mix of international banks' claims countries receive. In particular, we distinguish between local claims, extended by international banks through their affiliates in a host (or claim recipient) country, and cross border claims, booked from outside the host country, typically from banks' headquarters in their home countries. Using data on US, Spanish, and Italian banks' foreign claims across countries, we find that the share of local foreign claims is primarily driven by the degree of "freedom" in the host banking sector and by business opportunities in the local market. Entry requirements, startup and informational costs associated with international banking also play a role, but their influence is less robust. Finally, we find that the mix of international bank claims has implications for financial stability, since foreign claim volatility is lower in countries that receive a larger share of local claims.foreign bank financing, financial fdi, cross-border claims

Bank competition in Russia: An examination at different levels of aggregation

We analyze bank competition in Russia at different levels of aggregation. First, we compute a country-level measure of competition and compare it to that for similar-sized economies. Second, we contrast competition across different groups of banks in Russia. Third, we analyze bank competition across Russian regions. We find that banks in Russia are less competitive than those in Brazil, but more so than those in China and India. Large and state-owned banks exert more market power than others. Finally, competition is stronger in regions where there is less bank concentration, greater presence of banks, and greater financial and/or economic development.Web of Science131574

Bank involvement with SMEs: Beyond relationship lending

The "conventional wisdom" in academic and policy circles argues that, while large and foreign banks are generally not interested in serving SMEs, small and niche banks have an advantage because they can overcome SME opaqueness through relationship lending. This paper shows that there is a gap between this view and what banks actually do. Banks perceive SMEs as a core and strategic business and seem well-positioned to expand their links with SMEs. The intensification of bank involvement with SMEs in various emerging markets is neither led by small or niche banks nor highly dependent on relationship lending. Moreover, it has not been derailed by the 2007-2009 crisis. Rather, all types of banks are catering to SMEs and large, multiple-service banks have a comparative advantage in offering a wide range of products and services on a large scale, through the use of new technologies, business models, and risk management systems.Small and medium enterprises Bank finance Financial constraints Banking market structure

Remittances and banking sector breadth and depth : evidence from Mexico

Despite the importance of remittances to developing countries, their impact on banking sector breadth and depth in recipient countries has been largely unexplored. We examine this topic using municipality-level data on the fraction of households receiving remittances and on measures of banking breadth and depth for Mexico. We find that remittances are strongly associated with greater banking breadth and depth, increasing the number of branches and accounts per capita and the amount of deposits to GDP. These effects are significant both statistically and economically, and are robust to the potential endogeneity of remittances, inclusion of a wide range of controls and even municipal fixed effects specifications using an alternative panel data set from a sample of municipalities

Remittances and banking sector breadth and depth: Evidence from Mexico

Despite the importance of remittances to developing countries, their impact on banking sector breadth and depth in recipient countries has been largely unexplored. We examine this topic using municipality-level data on the fraction of households receiving remittances and on measures of banking breadth and depth for Mexico. We find that remittances are strongly associated with greater banking breadth and depth, increasing the number of branches and accounts per capita and the amount of deposits to GDP. These effects are significant both statistically and economically, and are robust to the potential endogeneity of remittances, inclusion of a wide range of controls and even municipal fixed effects specifications using an alternative panel data set from a sample of municipalities.Remittances Financial development Banking sector depth and breadth