Diverzifikacija poslovnih aktivnosti u savremenom konceptu univerzalnog bankarstva

Abstract

In a dynamic environment, modern banks expand the range of their business activities by affirming the concept of universal banking. Universal banks are characterised by high innovation, which leads to the emergence of complex financial products and complex institutions. The combination of different types of activities leads to an increase in non-interest income and risk diversification, which improves the performance of banks, but potentially can negatively affect financial stability. The global financial crisis has reopened a debate on the optimal banking model and the limitation of banking activities for the purpose of minimisinge the costs imposed on taxpayers through the state support of too large and overly complex institutions. The aim of the dissertation is to examine the diversification of business activities in modern banks from different aspects in order to draw conclusions about the characteristics, the role and importance of the concept of universal banking, as well as the perspective of its further development. The disseration provides an overview and comparison of often opposite theoretical opinions that explain nature and the importance of diversifying business activities for the banks themselves as well as their clients. The concept of universal banking is observed in the context of the global financial crisis in order to give conclusions about the role of universal banks in its emergence and development and evaluate the resistance of this model in crisis conditions. Research in the impact of diversification of business activities of banks in the Republic of Serbia on their profitability and risk was carried out, based on data from the balance sheets and profit and loss accounts of banks for the period from 2003 to 2016. On the basis of the obtained results, it can be concluded that traditional intermediary activities are the ones that shape their performance to the greatest extent. The degree of diversification of the activities of banks, either has no significance for their performance, or improves them (which depends on the observed dimension of diversification). The greater reliance of banks on non-interest income, especially on fees and commission income, generates benefits in terms of improving profitability and increasing the stability of banking business.