Regulation of Banking Groups and their Financial Stability in Russia

Abstract

More complex activities, financial reporting, and risk aggregation of banking groups increase the relevance of research on their financial stability. The purpose of our study is to analyze the effectiveness of banking groups’ regulation in the Russian Federation and to develop proposals for its optimization. The scientific novelty includes the identification and proof of the hypothesis of the dependence of the banking groups’ financial stability on the level of the group control, as well as measures to improve the regulation of activities and financial stability of banking groups in Russia. The research methodology is based on a linear model on panel data (fixed effects models, random effects models, and pool models). The empirical base of the study includes data on the 26 largest Russian banking groups and parent credit institutions of banking groups from 2010 to 2020. A hypothesis was put forward that the financial stability of the banking group depends on the effectiveness of the regulatory control within the group. To confirm the hypothesis, the authors assessed the financial stability of banking groups using the Zscore, while the banking groups were divided into two pools depending on the level of regulatory control. As a result, this hypothesis was confirmed. For banking groups with a high level of regulatory control, a model of financial stability and the factors that have the greatest impact on it were identified. The authors suggested the following measures to improve the regulation and financial reporting of the banking groups: 1) to expand the regulatory consolidation of the reporting of banking groups to the level of accounting, which will create the basis for a complete risk assessment; 2) to clearly define approaches to formalizing the assessment and management of the forced financial support risks for the group companies; 3) to unify the disclosure by banking groups of information about risks, methods for their assessment and management, including the relationship with the business model of activity. These measures are aimed at improving the risk management of credit institutions.