International Journal of Finance & Banking Studies

IFRS 16 addresses the criticisms against IAS 17 that allowed lessees not to recognize assets and liabilities related to operating leases. This study analyzed the impact of operating lease capitalization on 38 selected Philippine-listed companies' key financial ratios from the service sector from 2016 - 2021 under PFRS 16. Key financial ratios were calculated and compared to the changes that happened due to the adoption of PFRS 16 – Leases with firm size, firm age, inflation rate, nominal GDP growth rate and the unemployment rate as moderating variables. Mann-Whitney U Test was employed to analyze the impact of pre-and post-PFRS implementation on financial ratios. The impact of predictor variables on PFRS 16 and key financial ratios were examined using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis. The study result revealed a significant negative influence of PFRS 16 implementation on return on equity, price-earnings ratio, and price-to-book ratio; and a significant positive influence on the debt-equity ratio, and earnings per share. Firm age positively moderates the return on equity and PFRS 16 adoption (p = 0.032). Only the nominal GDP growth rate moderates the key financial ratio and PFRS 16 in terms of the price-earnings ratio (p = 0.019). This implies that PFRS 16 adoption significantly influences some key financial ratios. Management should reconsider their business model, especially on lease transactions, as it will impact their financial reporting. The new accounting standards must be well communicated to stakeholders considering the firm-level and macroeconomic indices for better decision making.

Banks are believed to  instrumental to economic growth because it provides the financial backbone needed to spur economic development through business creation and expansion. A healthy and resilient banking sector signals economic growth and development that is sustainable. The efficient transfer of funds from those that has surplus of them towards those that need them has been made possible due to the intermediation of banks. In the Philippines, banking formally started in 1851 with the establishment of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, which up to this day, stands to be one of the country’s biggest and most stable universal bank. This study analyzes how universal banks grew over the years, and determines whether a correlation exists between universal bank growth and economic growth, using the variable of GDP growth rate as proxy for economic growth. The study showed that at the most recent periods, universal banks’ ROE and ROA are negatively correlated with GDP growth rate.   Key words: Universal banks, History of banking, Economic growth of the Philippines, GDP growth rate

Universal banks combine commercial loan services and public deposit functions with investment, and other services such as home and auto financing, mutual funds, pension and insurance to name a few. The importance of universal banks have been recognized in emerging economies, and its growth spur economic growth and development of many countries in the world. Most universal banks are listed in stock exchanges, and as financial intermediaries, not only these banks expand their already wide portfolios but they allow more global investors into the fold, almost like a foreign direct investor, the difference only is, the investor don’t have to leave the home country. Since these banks are considered to be among the key players in stock markets, and this study seeks to understand what factors drive their performance in stock exchange so that global investors be aided in making investment decisions on universal banks.

IFRS 16 addresses the criticisms against IAS 17 that allowed lessees not to recognize assets and liabilities related to operating leases. This study analyzed the impact of operating lease capitalization on 38 selected Philippine-listed companies' key financial ratios from the service sector from 2016 - 2021 under PFRS 16. Key financial ratios were calculated and compared to the changes that happened due to the adoption of PFRS 16 – Leases with firm size, firm age, inflation rate, nominal GDP growth rate and the unemployment rate as moderating variables. Mann-Whitney U Test was employed to analyze the impact of pre-and post-PFRS implementation on financial ratios. The impact of predictor variables on PFRS 16 and key financial ratios were examined using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis. The study result revealed a significant negative influence of PFRS 16 implementation on return on equity, price-earnings ratio, and price-to-book ratio; and a significant positive influence on the debt-equity ratio, and earnings per share. Firm age positively moderates the return on equity and PFRS 16 adoption (p = 0.032). Only the nominal GDP growth rate moderates the key financial ratio and PFRS 16 in terms of the price-earnings ratio (p = 0.019). This implies that PFRS 16 adoption significantly influences some key financial ratios. Management should reconsider their business model, especially on lease transactions, as it will impact their financial reporting. The new accounting standards must be well communicated to stakeholders considering the firm-level and macroeconomic indices for better decision making.

Banks are believed to  instrumental to economic growth because it provides the financial backbone needed to spur economic development through business creation and expansion. A healthy and resilient banking sector signals economic growth and development that is sustainable. The efficient transfer of funds from those that has surplus of them towards those that need them has been made possible due to the intermediation of banks. In the Philippines, banking formally started in 1851 with the establishment of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, which up to this day, stands to be one of the country’s biggest and most stable universal bank. This study analyzes how universal banks grew over the years, and determines whether a correlation exists between universal bank growth and economic growth, using the variable of GDP growth rate as proxy for economic growth. The study showed that at the most recent periods, universal banks’ ROE and ROA are negatively correlated with GDP growth rate.   Key words: Universal banks, History of banking, Economic growth of the Philippines, GDP growth rate

Universal banks combine commercial loan services and public deposit functions with investment, and other services such as home and auto financing, mutual funds, pension and insurance to name a few. The importance of universal banks have been recognized in emerging economies, and its growth spur economic growth and development of many countries in the world. Most universal banks are listed in stock exchanges, and as financial intermediaries, not only these banks expand their already wide portfolios but they allow more global investors into the fold, almost like a foreign direct investor, the difference only is, the investor don’t have to leave the home country. Since these banks are considered to be among the key players in stock markets, and this study seeks to understand what factors drive their performance in stock exchange so that global investors be aided in making investment decisions on universal banks.