Factors affecting Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) of banks: The case of Vietnam

Abstract

This study aims to identify factors affecting Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) of commercial banks in Vietnam. To address the research problem, data of commercial banks in Vietnam from 2008 to 2017 were collected. This study applied a fixed-effects model in comparison with a random-effects model on a panel data of 200 observations. Results from the firmly fixed-effects model indicated that NPLs were positively affected by its lag of the previous year, capital structure, and interest rate. Additionally, returns on asset, inflation rate, and credit growth were found to have negative impacts on NPLs. However, impacts of firm size and gross domestic product were not found across the models. Based on the results, this research suggested several policy recommendations for the management of NPLs in the commercial banks.