PurposeThe Asian banking system has been appreciated with many distinct qualities including consistent in profitability. Many studies have examined the profitability of Asian banking sector from diverse perspectives. However, studies on bank profitability in connection to the capital structure, operating efficiency and non-interest income are only a few. This study investigates the influence of capital structure as estimated by leverage ratio and long-term debt, operating efficiency and non-interest income on the profitability of the banking industry in 28 countries of Asia.Design/methodology/approachThis paper utilizes fixed effect regression model by involving panel data with sample of 492 banks from 28 countries of Asia for the time span of 15 years from 2004 to 2018.FindingsThe results confirm that an increase in total debt ratio increases the profit margin of the bank as supported by the agency cost theory, suggesting that the debt financing increases the profitability of the firm. In addition, the findings reveal that lowering the operating expenses and managing of costs effectively can boost the profitability of bank. Furthermore, non-interest income plays a vital role when the interest rates are lower. Hence the study suggests that a careful investment in this sector can generate income as well as increase the profit margin of the banking arena.Originality/valueThe paper examines the profitability of bank by including impact of leverage ratio and long-term debt as a measure of capital structure along with the influence of operational efficiency and non-interest income which contributes to the understanding of the existing literature.

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PurposeThe banking sector in West Asia has always experienced positive growth except for Palestine. Apart from some negligible outlying outcomes in some countries that have faced political crises and war, most West Asian countries have gained bank profitability and efficiency. However, the stability in the banking sector has been rarely examined in the literature. Hence, this study sheds light on examining bank stability by considering 12 countries in West Asia.Design/methodology/approachA fixed effect panel data regression analysis is employed on strongly balanced panel data using data from 2004 to 2018.FindingsResults reveal that the net interest margin has a positive relationship with bank stability. The bank’s stability rises as the net interest margin improves. Furthermore, the non-interest income reveals a positive significant impact on the stability of banks, depicting that the increase in non-interest income increases the stability of banks. Additionally, the non-interest expense also reveals positive significant results with the stability of banks. Nevertheless, leverage ratio and long-term debt portray a negative significant impact on banks’ stability. The finding reveals that higher long-term debt and leverage ratios may decrease the stability of the banks in West Asia.Practical implicationsOverall, the authors’ findings add to the literature on the stability of the banks by providing some new but significant information. Some of the recommendations may be beneficial to the long-term success of 12 Western Asian countries’ banks.Originality/valueThe study examines the stability of banks by incorporating both profitability and operating efficiency along with net-interest income, which extends to the current literature’s insight.

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Purpose The global financial crisis of 2008 has put greater doubt on the bank risk-management effectiveness around the world. As a part of the response to such doubt, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is formulating some feasible approaches to manage bank risk. In this regard, an understanding of the role of the region’s culture and economic freedom will provide immense input into this risk management approach. This study examines the impact of national culture and economic freedom on bank risk-taking behavior. Design/methodology/approach Data on bank risk measures, culture and economic freedom are obtained from the FitchConnect, World Bank database, Hofstede’s insights and Heritage Foundation. Generalized least squares and two step-system generalized method of moments are then used to examine the risk-taking behavior of the region. Findings Banks of the GCC region operating in the low power distance, high collectivism, masculine and low uncertainty avoidance cultures are susceptible to assuming more operational and insolvency risks. Furthermore, banks’ overall risk-taking inclination is positively increased once the region has considerable business and monetary freedom. Practical implications The governments and bank regulatory bodies may benefit from the study findings by developing the best economic freedom index and national culture that enriches risk management practices and curves excessive risk-taking inclination. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to address the interplay among culture, economic freedom and bank risk to ensure constructive risk-taking behavior for the GCC banking industry.