Do Macroeconomic Determinants of Non-Performing Loans Vary with the Income Levels of Countries?

This paper explores the macroeconomic determinants of non-performing loans(NPL) in 19 Asian countries(low to high income economies) using the Generalized Method of Moments estimation approach based on the economic data for the period between 1998 and 2015. The categorization of the economies is based on the average gross national income per capita as set by the World Bank.Specifically, the paper aims to evaluate if the determinants of NPL vary with the income levels of the countries. The results indicate that the NPL is strongly influenced by the inflation rate. The effect is,however, negative in the high-income and the middle-income countries and positive in the low-income countries. The GDP per capita has a dynamic negative relationship with the NPL in the high-income and the low-income countries. The remittance has a significant positive association in the high-income and a significant negative association in the low-income countries. Similarly, the unemployment rate has a positive effect on NPL in the middle-income and the low-income countries. With the rise in the official exchange rate, the NPL level increases in the low-income countries. The overall estimation results suggest that the NPL in Asian banking system depend on some key macroeconomic variables,such as unemployment rate, inflation rate, official exchange rate, remittance received and gross domestic product per capita, and these associations vary with the income level of the countries. Therefore,economic level of a country should be carefully considered while formulating credit policy to minimize credit risks in the banking system.

Cointegration and Causality Relationship Between Stock Market,Money Market and Foreign Exchange Market in Pakistan

This paper examines the relationship between stock market(KSE-100), money market(M2 and 180 days T-bill rate), and foreign exchange market(ER: PKR/USD) in Pakistan by using monthly data covering the period from 2000:M1 to 2015:M12. The study investigates long-run equilibrium relationship between these three financial markets by employing Johansen and Juselius[1]cointegration tests. Long-run and short-run causality relationship between stock market and other macroeconomic variables is also established by employing vector error correction model(VECM) and pairwise granger causality tests. The results of multivariate cointegration test(trace test) indicate a one cointegrating vector, and the significant normalized cointegrating coefficients are evident of long run equilibrium relationship between all the selected variables. Negative and significant ECT(-1) for all variables during full sample period witness the presence of long-run causality connection among variables, while during the military regime and democratic regime, significant difference of long-run causal connections are identified across the regimes. Moreover, the results of granger causality test also indicate that there are significant variations in the causality relationship among variables across the regimes. Therefore, it is essential for forecasting, planning and policy making to consider the importance of political governance system while analyzing the historical cointegration among financial market and make the necessary adjustments accordingly.