IMPROVING THE CAPITAL STRUCTURE OF BANKS

Abstract

This study examines the possibilities for improving the capital structure of banks through analysis of various combinations of long-term debt and equity. The theoretical thesis that banks should maintain a positive capital structure has not been ignored for a single moment in the reflections below. Yet, applied techniques and methods indicate that contemporary banking is predominantly based on negative capital structure in which a single unit of equity attracts multiple units of loan capital until reaching maximum levels beyond which the regulatory proportions for funding of banking business are violated. Quite logically, attention is paid to banking risk with reference to banks performance and the efficiency of capital utilisation. In parallel, financial leverage is applied to maximize bank earnings. Through the DuPont model, the capital management of banks develops a systematic tool for measuring the efficiency of decisions related to the development of the financial leverage effect. Based on this a model for the optimization of commercial banks is designed to facilitate bank managers in making efficient financial decisions, which take into consideration market capitalization and the cost of long-term capital resources.