Determinants of banking sector profitability in Central and Eastern European Union countries: A panel regression analysis

Financial development has become one of the important components of economic growth at the present day. Banking sector is locomotive of the financial sector especially in emerging markets and developing countries. Therefore, efficiently and healthfully functioning of the banking sector is crucial for the whole economy. This study investigates the impact of internal and external factors on banking sector profitability in Central and Eastern European Union countries during 1998-2015 period. We found that bank capital, economic growth and financial development affected banking sector profitability positively, while banking sector size, non-performing loans, and bank sector concentration affected the banking sector profitability negatively.