This study investigates the relationship between diversification and Islamic banking systems' performance under the impact of the COVID-19 turmoil using a sample of 24 countries from 2013Q4 and 2020Q4. The findings indicate that the performance of Islamic banking systems is positively associated with sectoral diversification of Shari'ah-compliant financing and income diversification. Although this study confirms a negative impact of the COVID-19 shock, income diversification is found to mitigate the adverse effect of this health crisis on the performance of the Islamic banking systems. In which, Sukuk investment is considered an essential channel for pursuing this diversification strategy. Therefore, this research has important implications for policymakers, managers, and academics.

The expansion of fintech credit around the world is challenging the global banking system. This study investigates the interrelationships between the development of fintech credit and the efficiency of banking systems in 80 countries from 2013 to 2017. The findings indicate a two-way relationship between them. More specifically, a negative relationship between bank efficiency and fintech credit implies that fintech credit is more developed in countries with less efficient banking systems. Meanwhile, a positive impact of fintech credit on the efficiency of banking systems suggests that fintech credit may serve as a wake-up call to the banking system. Therefore, fintech credit should be encouraged by the authorities around the world.

This study investigated whether income diversification moderates the relationship between Intellectual Capital and bank performance in Vietnamese commercial banks period 2007–2020 using the system generalised method of moments (GMM).” The results indicate that the value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) and its components (“human capital efficiency (HCE), “ capital employed efficiency (CEE), and “structural capital efficiency (SCE)) have positive effects on bank performance. Second, the study examines that income diversification (ID) has a negative and considerable impact on bank performance. Finally, the findings show that income diversification, as a moderating element, lowered the overall impact of IC (Value Added Intellectual Capital (VAIC)) efficiency on bank performance. The role of income diversification in modulating the link between the distinct components of VAIC (HCE, SCE and CEE). While revenue diversification improved the influence of SCE on bank performance, it weakened the impact of HCE. Furthermore, income diversification had little effect on bank performance in terms of mitigating the effects of CEE. Therefore, this finding highlights the contribution by suggesting that non-traditional banking activities influence the relationship between Intellectual Capital and bank performance in Vietnam

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between bank profitability, bank stability, and loan growth may exist in Southeast Asia, including a sample of 79 listed banks in five countries in Southeast Asia (ASEAN-5) from 2006 to 2019. Using a simultaneous equations model (SEM) with the generalized method of moments is used to examine the links bank profitability, bank stability and loan growth. The findings show a two-]way relationship between these variables. More specifically, bank profitability and stability are positively related. Bank stability and loan growth are inversely connected. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that bank profitability and loan growth are positively related. These findings, however, suggest a trade-off in banks’ pursuit of large loan growth. Our findings, however, have implications for bank supervisors, policymakers, and bank managers.

This study empirically presents evidence of nonlinearity and heterogeneity relation between intellectual capital and risk-taking for the Vietnamese banking system. We used quantile regression methods on a data set of 30 Vietnamese banks from 2007 to 2019. The results showed that bank insolvency was positively affected by its value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) at the upper quantiles (i.e., 80th and 90th), while the opposite was true for credit risk (i.e., 10th and 20th quantiles). When observing the VAIC’s components, risk-taking behaviors were also significantly affected by HCE (Human Capital Efficiency), CEE (Capital Employed Efficiency) and SCE (Structural Capital Efficiency) at the 90th quantile of instability distribution and the 10th quantile of credit risk distribution. Furthermore, the results also emphasized that there was an inverse U-shaped association between intellectual capital and bank risk-taking. Therefore, this study provides important implications for policymakers, regulators, bank managers and academics that encourage increasing investment in knowledge assets to minimize bank risks in the long run.