Assessing the Impact of Financial Technology Innovations on the Sustainable Profitability of Listed Commercial Banks in China

Abstract

Commercial banks constitute a crucial segment of China’s financial system, and their efficient operation is directly linked to the development of other sectors within the national economy. The sustainable profitability of these banks is vital for maintaining the stability of China’s financial system. In the context of the current digital economy, it is of great theoretical and practical significance to conduct an in-depth analysis of the impact of financial technology (fintech) development on the sustainable profitability of commercial banks and its underlying mechanisms. Such research can promote the digital transformation of commercial banks, enhance risk supervision policies, and mitigate systemic financial risks. This study utilizes EViews software Version 13 to analyze annual data from 13 listed commercial banks in China over the period from 2011 to 2021. It examines the influence of fintech on the profitability of these banks, considering their unique characteristics and drawing insights from the existing literature on the mechanisms through which fintech affects bank profitability. Employing both a static panel fixed effects variable-intercept model and a dynamic panel generalized method of moments (GMM) model, the empirical findings indicate that fintech development significantly impacts the profitability of listed commercial banks.