Signs of a turnaround: on RBI’s Financial Stability Report

Signs of a turnaround: on RBI’s Financial Stability Report

News:

The Reserve Bank of India has released the financial stability report of 2018

Important Facts:

• Major Finding of the report:
• • India’s financial system remains stable, and the banking sector shows signs of improvement, even though the global economic environment and the emerging trends in financial sector pose challenges.
• Global and domestic macro-financial risks
• • • The global growth outlook for 2018 and 2019 remains steady although the underlying downside risks have risen.
    • Spill-over risk to emerging economies engendered by tightening of financial conditions in Advanced Economies, protectionist trade policies and global geopolitical tension has significantly increased.
    • The gradual monetary policy normalisation in advanced economies (AEs) as also the uncertainty in global trade regime may adversely affect capital flows to emerging markets (EMs) and exert upward pressure on EM interest rates and corporate spreads.
    • On the domestic front, growth of gross domestic product (GDP) showed slight moderation in Q2:2018-19 while inflation remains contained.
    • In domestic financial markets, structural shifts in credit intermediation and the evolving interconnectivity between banks and the non-banks call for greater vigilance.

• Financial Institutions: Performance and risks
• • Credit growth of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) has improved between March 2018 and September 2018, driven largely by private sector banks (PVBs).
  • The asset quality of banks showed an improvement with the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio of SCBs declining from 11.5 per cent in March 2018 to 10.8 per cent in September 2018.
  • Under the baseline scenario, GNPA ratio may decline from 10.8 per cent in September 2018 to 10.3 per cent in March 2019.
  • Analysis of the financial network structure for the period September 2017 – September 2018 reveals a shrinking inter-bank market and increasing bank linkages with asset management companies-mutual funds (AMC-MFs) for raising funds and with NBFCs/Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) for lending.

Concern Highlighted by report:

• Data on banking frauds are cause for concern. Close to 95% of the frauds reported in the six months ended September were credit-related, with PSBs again bearing the brunt of mala fide intent on the part of borrowers.

About Financial Stability Report:

• RBI release financial stability report biannually.
• The FSR reflects the overall assessment on the stability of India’s financial system and its resilience to risks emanating from global and domestic factors. The Report also discusses issues relating to development and regulation of the financial sector.