Foreign banks and foreign currency lending in emerging Europe

Brown, Martin and de Haas, Ralph (2012): Foreign banks and foreign currency lending in emerging Europe. Published in: Economic Policy , Vol. 69, No. 27 (January 2012): pp. 57-98.

Abstract

Based on survey data from 193 banks in 20 countries we provide the first bank-level analysis of the relationship between bank ownership, bank funding and foreign currency (FX) lending across emerging Europe. Our results contradict the widespread view that foreign banks have been driving FX lending to retail clients as a result of easier access to foreign wholesale funding. Our cross-sectional analysis shows that foreign banks do lend more in FX to corporate clients but not to households. Moreover, we find no evidence that wholesale funding had a strong causal effect on FX lending for either foreign or domestic banks. Panel estimations show that the foreign acquisition of a domestic bank does lead to faster growth in FX lending to households. However, this is driven by faster growth in household lending in general not by a shift towards FX lending.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Foreign banks; FX lending; financial integration; Emerging Europe
• Subjects: F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F15 - Economic Integration; F - International Economics > F3 - International Finance > F36 - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration; G - Financial Economics > G2 - Financial Institutions and Services > G21 - Banks ; Depository Institutions ; Micro Finance Institutions ; Mortgages

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