Search Results (5)

The evolving macroeconomic landscape, shaped by the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, poses significant challenges for economies worldwide. However, Central, Eastern, and Southeastern European (CESEE) countries have demonstrated resilience and rapid recovery during crises, driven by a surge in consumption fueled by domestic credit and robust export growth supported by flexible exchange rates and adaptive monetary policies. Prior to EU accession, substantial foreign direct investment (FDI) during privatization and restructuring facilitated knowledge and technology transfers in CESEE economies. This study examines the interplay of exports, real exchange rates, GDP growth, FDI, inflation, domestic credit, and the human development index (HDI) in the CESEE region from 1995 to 2022, covering the transition period, EU accession, and major crises. Employing a panel ARDL model, we account for asymmetric effects of these variables on exports. The results reveal that GDP, FDI, inflation, domestic credit, and HDI significantly and positively influence exports, with HDI and GDP exerting the strongest effects, underscoring the pivotal roles of human capital and economic growth in enhancing export competitiveness. Conversely, real exchange rate depreciation negatively impacts exports, though non-price factors, such as product quality, mitigate this effect. These findings provide a robust basis for targeted policy measures to strengthen economic resilience and export performance in the CESEE region. Full article

The interconnectedness of stock markets is an important topic in empirical research, as spillovers on financial markets matter for asset pricing, portfolio allocation, financial stability, and risk management. This research focuses on all four moments of return distributions on stock markets and their spillovers between CESEE (Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe) stock markets. Higher moments analysis needs to be explored more deeply, but can provide detailed insights into distribution shifts of market returns due to shocks in other markets. This research fills such a gap in the literature by estimating spillover effects between the four moments of stock market return distributions. Based on data from January 2013 to September 2022, the VAR (vector autoregression) model is estimated for individual moments across stock markets as a base for the calculation of spillover indices. The main findings indicate that it is difficult to track all the spillovers at once as the net emitter of shocks to one or other of the countries involved often change to being a net receiver and vice versa. Moreover, higher moments spillovers matter for individual markets, which has important implications for dynamic portfolio selection. Full article

The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of the shock increase, in the value of nonperforming loans, on the equity level and profitability of 141 banks in 18 countries of Central Eastern South Europe (CESE). This study is important for assessing the financial stability of banks in this region in the face of the continuing negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the annual data, as of the end of 2020, from the S&P Global database, stress tests were carried out to check what value of NPL growth, over the next year, will lead to breach the regulatory capital requirements in domestic sectors and in individual groups of banks. The results indicate that the banks in CESE were well capitalized and had the ability to maintain capital requirements with a 12% increase in nonperforming loans. The resilience of domestic banking sectors varies, and it is higher in non-EU countries. Smaller and non-public banks show a greater ability to preserve the appropriate level of equity, although there is a risk that they may postpone the time of provisioning credit risk and additionally increase lending to lower the NPL ratio. Larger banks are more profitable in times of crisis. The results of the research are important for assessing the stability of the banking sector in CESE during the crisis and can be used by financial supervision of the region’s countries and banking market analysts. Full article

This research observes a time varying relationship between stock returns, volatilities and the online search volume in regard to selected CESEE (Central, Eastern and South-Eastern European) stock markets. The main hypothesis of the research assumes that a feedback relationship exists between stock returns, volatilities and the investor’s attention variable (captured by the online search volume). Moreover, the relationship is assumed to be time varying due to changing market conditions. Previous research does not deal with the time-varying multi-directional relationship. Thus, the contribution to existing research consists of estimating the aforementioned relationship between return, volatility and the search volume series for selected CESEE countries by using a novel approach of spillover indices within the VAR (Vector AutoRegression) model framework. The results indicate that the Google search volume affects the risk series more than the return series on the selected markets. Full article

This study focuses on the role of financial development in the economic growth of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern European (CESEE) countries in the post-communist era (1995–2014), which coincides with the opening up of financial markets to foreign investors and the global financial crisis. We investigate whether economic growth in CESEE countries has benefited from the presence of foreign-owned banks. To this end, we introduce some refined measures of financial development and control for banks’ financial strength. Our results challenge the idea that bank credit fosters economic growth and that foreign-owned banks are indisputably a positive addition to local markets able to foster economic growth. Full article