Bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic determinants of bank profitability: evidence from the UK

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic determinants of bank profitability amongst domestic UK commercial banks. Design/methodology/approach This study used an empirically driven single equation framework that incorporates the traditional structure–conduct–performance (SCP) hypothesis. A generalised method of moments technique was applied to a panel of UK banks covering the period 1998–2018 to account for profit persistence. Findings The estimation results show that all bank-specific determinants, with the exception of credit risk, significantly affect bank profitability in the anticipated way. However, no evidence was found in support of the SCP hypothesis. Interest rates, especially longer-term interest rates, and the rate of inflation has a significant effect on bank profitability, with the business cycle having a symmetric insignificant effect once other variables have been accounted for. Profitability persists to a moderate extent within the UK banking market, indicating that there exists a departure from a perfectly competitive market structure. Originality/value The literature that examines the actual underlying determinants of UK domestic bank profitability is limited.