Measurement of Financial Performance of A Commercial Bank From Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited
Measurement of Financial Performance of A Commercial Bank From Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited
Measurement of Financial Performance of A Commercial Bank From Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited
net/publication/335426827
CITATIONS READS
2 84
3 authors:
Tarun Sen
Jashore University of Science and Technology
4 PUBLICATIONS 2 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:
COVID-19 Articles and Data Open Consortium-Get acquainted (gain, obtain) with present-day techniques that came from Quidditch 19 View project
All content following this page was uploaded by Mohammad Kamal Hossain on 03 November 2019.
Abstract
Purpose: The study aims to measure the financial performance of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited
(IBBL) from three different perspectives, such as the bank management perspective, market perspective,
and shareholder perspective.
Design/Methodology/Approach: A range of financial ratios/indicators are used, include activity ratios,
short-term solvency ratios, asset quality ratios, and management capability ratios, to illustrate the
performance of the bank in several operational areas. Subsequently, accounting return-based, market-
based, and value-based performance measures are used to assess the financial performance of the bank.
All data are collected from the publicly available annual reports of the bank over the period 2012-2017.
Findings: The study finds that the bank has not faced liquidity problem and it has enhanced its efficiency
throughout the study period. However, it has experienced poor management capability in the collection
of deposits. Overall, the study finds that the financial performance of the bank from all perspectives is
satisfactory with a little variation throughout the study period.
Research Limitations: The results, however, are subject to several limitations, such as it uses short-term
performance measures and fails to assess the causal relationship between financial performance and
other financial factors.
Originality/Value: Unlike prior studies, the study assesses the financial performance of IBBL using
market-based and value-based performance measures along with accounting return-based performance
measures. The outcomes of the study are important for different stakeholders of the bank, particularly
employees, depositors, and shareholders. The current bank management also requires the same
outcomes, as they require improving the management capability area to achieve its vision.
Keywords: Financial Performance Measurement, Bank Management Perspective, Market Perspective, Shareholder
Perspective, and Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd.
Introduction
Bangladesh has been experiencing a catastrophe in the banking sector for a decade. In recent times, the country has
experienced a number of scandals in this sector, particularly in a number of state-owned banks (e.g., Sonali Bank,
Janata Bank, BASIC Bank, Agrani Bank), and private banks (e.g., Oriental Bank, Farmers’ Bank) (Hossain, 2018).
These scandals are the result of poor risk diversification, poor loan or investment appraisal, pervasive corruption and
deceitful measures, and a lack of accountability and transparency of banks (ibid.). Even with this challenging
environment, the Islamic banking sector has achieved a significant market share in the entire banking sector in
Bangladesh (Uddin, 2015), and the sector has optimistically contributed to the country’s economy. According to
Akhtaruzzaman et al. (2016), “Islamic banking has been thriving in the vibrantly growing Bangladesh economy with
the avid participation of the Islamic banks in the financial inclusion campaign”.
Statistics of the Bangladesh Bank (2016), the Central Bank of the country, reveal that the share of total deposits,
total credit, remittance collection, and credit in the agriculture sector of the Islamic banking sector are 21.92%,
23.53%, 36.86%, and 21.78%, respectively, as at the end of July-September 2016 quarter. The statistics also show
that deposits, investments, and the surplus liquidity of the Islamic banking industry grow by 1.47%, 1.42%, and
7.57%, respectively. These results indicate that "Islamic Banking Industry in Bangladesh has been highly
contributing to spur economic growth and generate employment in the country to fulfill the vision of the government
to reach the country at a Middle Income Level by the year 2021” (Akhtaruzzaman et al., 2016). An empirical study
conducted by Abduh and Chowdhury (2012) also supports the positive contribution of the Islamic banking sector
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting and Information Systems, Jashore University of Science and Technology
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting and Information Systems, Jashore University of Science and Technology
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting and Information Systems, Jashore University of Science and Technology
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 53
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
towards the country’s economic development. Using quarterly time-series data of economic growth, total financing
and total deposits of Islamic banking from Q1:2004 to Q2:2011, they examine the long-run relationship between
Islamic banking development and economic growth by applying co integration and Granger’s causality method.
They find a significant positive relationship between Islamic banking development and economic growth of
Bangladesh in the long-run and short-run.
Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd. (IBBL) is a full-fledged leading private Islamic bank in Bangladesh. In the financial
year 2017, the bank has brought a major change in its policy-making positions, appointing a new Chairman of the
Board. Among other major changes, Vice-Chairmen, CEO, Executive Committee, Audit Committee and Risk
Management Committee of the bank have been reformed (The Daily Star, 2017; The Independent, 2017; The Dhaka
Tribune, 2017; The Prothom Alo, 2018). Most of the stakeholders believe that the reorganization of the top
management has been carried out under the control of the government (The Dhaka Tribune, 2017). The
government, in effect, instigates a boardroom coup at the bank only because of political reasons, as the newly
appointed top management are well known as a government-backed personality.
The change has apparently posed a fidelity crisis among different stakeholders, such as employees, depositors,
investors, and economists. They apprehend that the changes may affect negatively the country's largest private bank,
as well as the whole economy of the country. Moreover, they believe that changes have been made to establish
government control over the bank. Consequently, the performance of the bank may be affected negatively; hence the
interests of stakeholders may not be protected or prioritized. This perspective, therefore, leads the study to measure
the financial performance of the bank in order to know whether shareholders’ interests are being truly protected or
not. So far, many prior studies have been conducted that evaluate or measure the financial performance of IBBL
from the single perspective i.e., the perspective of the bank management. Measuring financial performance from the
bank management perspective is inevitable for future planning and control purposes (Banerjee, 2005).Also, it is
important to measure the financial performance on a regular basis, as the bank management requires improving
overall bank performance to achieve its vision4.
Unlike prior studies, the current study measures the financial performance of the bank from two more perspectives
along with the bank management perspective. They are market perspective, and shareholders’ or investors’
perspective. The market perspective of financial performance can be termed as the market-based performance that
measures shareholder value from the market point of view while shareholders' or investors' perspective can be
termed as the value-based performance, which measures shareholder value from the true economic point of view.
Specifically, these two perspectives of performance unveil whether IBBL is being performed to achieve its vision set
before.
This paper, therefore, aims to measure the financial performance of IBBL from three varied perspectives. In order to
do this, the following objectives are formulated.
1. To calculate a range of financial ratios/indicators illustrating the operational performance of IBBL in four
areas, such as short-term solvency, asset quality, efficiency, and management capability for the period
2012-2017.
2. To analyses the trend of the operational performance of the bank for the study period.
3. To assess the financial performance from three different perspectives, such as the bank management,
market, and shareholder perspectives of the bank for the study period.
The rest of the paper is structured as follows: a brief history of IBBL with its contribution to the country’s economy
is presented in section 2; section 3 contains literature review while data and methodology are presented in section 4.
Section 5 presents empirical results with analysis while concluding remarks are presented in section 6.
The vision of IBBL is “to always strive to achieve superior financial performance, be considered a leading Islami
4
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 54
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 55
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
policies adopted and activities performed by a bank to meet the objectives of its stakeholders. By and large, good
financial performance of a bank indicates satisfactory achievement in several areas of its operations, such as deposit
collection, loans and advances, investments, and thereby increasing net asset value, earnings per share, return on
equity, return on assets, earning before tax, and so on (ibid).
The insiders (bank management) and the outsiders (investors/shareholders) stakeholders, however, do not recognize
the financial performance of a bank in the same manner. The bank management emphasizes the accounting return-
based performance, i.e., banks' Net Profit, ROE, ROA, EBT, and so on. These performance indicators/measures
highlight narrow or short-termism view of the success of a bank. A number of prior studies assessed the financial
performance of IBBL using several accounting return-based measures. For example, using ROA, ROE, and Net
Profit measures, Chakraborty et al. (2015) found that the financial performance of IBBL was satisfactory for the
period 2011-2015. Later, Hossain (2017) provided support the results of Chakraborty et al. (2015) using the same
measures for the period 2006-2010. Earlier, employing Price Earning (P/E) ratio, Dividend Payout ratio, and
Earning per Share (EPS) measures, Ibrahim et al. (2014) revealed that IBBL performed consistently better compared
to other Islamic Banks in Bangladesh. Recently, Mawla and Khanam (2018) measured the financial performance of
the same bank using Net Profit margin, Total Income, and Working Capital Fund. They found that the profitability
was satisfactory during the study period 2006-2016. Similarly, Sarker et al. (2017) analyzed the financial
performance of Al-Arafah Islamic Bank Limited (AIBL) using ROE and ROA indicators for the period 2010-2014.
The accounting return-based performance measures, however, are subject to some severe criticisms. For example,
they are transaction oriented, thus overlook economic value or value creation; they ignore the opportunity cost of
equity capital; financial data used in measuring performance by using the accounting return-based measures can be
manipulated by means of different accounting policies and estimates. Given the fact, investors or shareholders do
not rely only on the accounting return-based performance indicators rather they focus on market-based performance
indicators along with them. The market-based performance, which basically is the market value of a firm, can be
measured by two common measures, namely Market Value per Share (MVPS) and Tobin’s Q (TQ). The MVPS is
the price at which an equity share traded in the stock market. It is determined by many factors, for example, reported
accounting income and cash flow, presence of share buyback programme, investors’ attitude towards firms and the
state of the country’s economy. While the TQ is a hybrid performance measure (Ntim, 2009), which, theoretically, is
the ratio of the market value of a firm’s tangible assets to their replacement costs (Sang, 1998). Generally, TQ ratio
measures the effectiveness with which a bank’s management is able to use its assets to generate value for
shareholders.
These two market-based measures have, however, been criticized for their poor representation of a firm’s financial
performance. This is because, firstly, MVPS and TQ are operationalized by market value that may be driven by
investors’ attitudes, speculation, and rumor-mongering, which are aimed to meet their short-term financial benefits
(Henwood, 1997). For example, the share prices of several companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange were
driven by speculative investors in 1996 and 2010-11. Similarly, the recent global financial crisis is caused by some
financial companies’ irrational high share prices that are ‘alleged’ to have been driven down by investors’
speculation (Turner Review, 2009). Secondly, and as stated earlier, market price of shares is influenced by the
accounting profit, which can also be manipulated. Finally, TQ contains some measurement errors and there is an
unavailability of data relative to the replacement costs of tangible assets (Ntim, 2009) that leads to the failure of
measuring performance truly.
Given the reasons, prudent shareholders or investors do not rely solely on the accounting return-based or market-
based performance indicators. Rather, they rely on the value-based performance indicators, e.g., economic value
added (EVA), along with others. EVA is a performance metric that determines true shareholder value created by the
management over a period (BPP, 2016). Unlike accounting return-based and market-based performance indicators,
EVA considers the opportunity cost of equity capital, which others do not, and it excludes all the accounting figures
that can be manipulated from its calculation to compute the true shareholder value (ibid). There is, however, a rarity
of empirical studies relative to the performance measurement of IBBL using the market-based indicators (e.g.,
MVPS, TQ) and value-based indicators (e.g., EVA), indicating a research gap.
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 56
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
Almost all prior studies used a number of financial ratios/indicators to illustrate banks’ operating performance,
particularly (a) liquidity performance, (2) activity performance, (3) asset quality, and (4) management quality that
cause financial performance of them.
Liquidity performance refers to maintaining an adequate level of liquidity, which is an essential part of a bank’s
management. A bank is considered to have enough liquidity if it is able to pay money off to the depositors once they
demand and also able to pay reasonable costs immediately. While activity performance refers to the efficiency of a
bank in utilizing its assets and liabilities internally to generate income. It is basically a comparison between the input
and output of a bank. Measuring banks’ efficiency is, however, difficult because there is no satisfactory definition of
bank output (Vittas, 1991). Asset quality is another important facet that contributes to the financial performance of a
bank. Credit or general investments risk involves with judging asset (investment) quality and the likely risk of loss
resulting from an investee’s failure to reimburse investment money or meet contractual obligations. Measuring asset
quality is useful in judging the effectiveness of the investment functions, monitoring the impact of investment
policies, uncovering problems, and recognizing successes. The assets which cease to earn income are termed as non-
performing assets (NPAs) and a bank has to keep a provision for its probable loss. More NPAs indicate a high
volume of sub-standard, doubtful, and loss assets, which are threats for the future of a bank. Finally, management
capability is typically a non-quantitative and can be understood through the subjective evaluation of management
systems, organization culture, control mechanisms, and so on. However, the management capability of a bank can
also be measured with the help of a number of ratios of off-site evaluation of a bank.
Data and Methodology
The study used a range of financial data collected from the publicly available annual reports of IBBL for the period
2012-2017. Several ratios and financial indicators were analyzed to measure the financial performance of IBBL for
the study period. Measuring firms’ performance using financial ratios, which involve comparing various financial
data with each other, have been common. This approach is widely used in evaluating the performance of banks as
banks that produce better results of financial ratios are likely to attract a larger number of depositors (Teker et al.,
2011). Moreover, a ratio is a powerful tool for decision-makers, including creditors, investors, and financial
managers (Delen et al., 2013).
The study, firstly, analyzed 21 ratios to examine the performance of different areas of operations of the bank, such
as short-term solvency, asset quality, activity performance, and management capability performance. Secondly, the
study used 8 more ratios and economic indicators to assess the financial performance of IBBL from three different
perspectives, such as bank management, market, and shareholder perspectives. The description of all ratios and their
modes of measurement are presented below.
Short-term Solvency Status: The study measured the short-term solvency status of IBBL using five ratios. They
included (a) Net General Investments (known as net loans and advances in conventional banks) to Total Assets
(NGITA) ratio, calculated by dividing net general investments by total assets. The higher the ratio, the less liquid the
bank is. (b) Current Assets (CA) ratio, the percentage of current assets to current liabilities. The higher the ratio, the
higher the liquid the bank is. The study also used three regulatory ratios, such as (a) Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR),
percentage of total deposits require to maintain in the form of cash reserve with the Bangladesh Bank; (b) Statutory
Liquidity Ratio (SLR), percentage of deposits that IBBL requires to maintain in the form of gold, cash or other
approved securities; and (c) Investment Deposit Ratio (IDR), calculated by dividing total general investments by
total deposits. The results of these ratios were compared to the standards set by the Bangladesh Bank. The
Bangladesh Bank sets the standard rate for CRR is 6.5%, SLR is 5.5%, and IDR is <90% (IBBL, 2017).
Asset Quality: Four ratios were analyzed to examine the asset quality or the extent of investment risk of IBBL.
These included (a) Non-performing General Investments (known as non-performing loans and advances in
conventional banks) to Total Assets (NPITA) ratio, calculated by dividing non-performing general investments by
total assets; (b) Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), calculated by dividing Tier 1 capital plus Tier 2 capital by risk-
weighted assets; (c) Equity Multiplier Ratio (EMR), calculated by dividing total assets value by total net equities;
and (d) Provision for Investment Losses to Total Investments (PILTI) ratio, calculated by dividing provision for
general investments and off-balance sheet exposures by total general investments.
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 57
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
Activity Performance: The study used six financial ratios to measure the efficiency of IBBL. They were (a) Deposit
Turnover to Employee (DTE), calculated as a ratio of total deposits to number of employees; (b) Investment
Turnover to Employee (ITE), calculated by dividing total investments by number of employees; (c) Revenue
Turnover to Number of Employees (RTE), calculated as a ratio of total income to number of employees; (d)
Employment Efficiency Rate (EER), calculated by dividing total assets by number of employees; (e) Return on
Capital Employed (ROCE), calculated by dividing operating profit by capital employed (total assets - current
liabilities); and (f) Operational Efficiency Rate (OER), calculated by dividing total income to total expenses.
Management Capability: The study analyzed six ratios to assess the management capability of the bank. These
included (a) Growth of Deposits (GD); (b) Growth of General Investments (GGI); (c) Growth of Income from
General Investments (GIGI); (d) Growth of Non-general Investments (GNI); (e) Growth of Income from Non-
general Investments (GINI); and (f) Growth of Employees (GE).
Financial Performance from the Bank Management Perspective: Financial performance from the bank
management perspective was assessed using five accounting return-based ratios/indicators. These included (1)
Earnings before Tax margin (EBT), which is the percentage of pre-tax earnings to bank's total revenues; (2) Return
on Assets (ROA), the ratio of net profit after tax to total assets; (3) Return on Equity (ROE), calculated by dividing
net profit after tax by total shareholders’ equity; (4) Yield on Earning Assets (YEA), calculated by dividing profit on
earning assets (investment incomes plus incomes from shares and securities) by average value of profit earning
assets; and (5) Earnings per Share (EPS), calculated by dividing net profit after paying off dividend of preferred
shares by average outstanding equity shares. Financial performance is said to be good as the ratios generate positive
and incremental results.
Financial performance from the market perspective: The study analyzed two economic indicators to measure the
financial performance of IBBL from the market perspective. These were (1) Market Value per Share (MVPS), the
price that a share can be readily bought or sold in the current fair market; (2) Tobin’s Q (TQ) ratio, the ratio of the
bank’s total market value plus its total debt to its total assets (Haniffa and Hudiab, 2006). If TQ is greater than 1.0,
then the market value of shareholder is greater than the value of the bank recorded (Ntim, 2009).
Financial Performance from the Shareholder Perspective: The bank’s financial performance from the shareholder
perspective was assessed using the Economic Value Added (EVA) indicator. It is calculated by deducting the
average cost of shareholders’ equity from the profit after tax plus provision for general investments of each financial
year being examined (IBBL, 2017). Positive EVA indicates the creation of shareholder value as their investment
value increases truly.
Results and Analysis
Short-Term Solvency Status: Table 1 shows that Net General Investments to Total Assets (NGITA) and Investment
Deposit Ratio (IDR) were 3.97% and 1.39%, respectively, higher in 2017 compared to that of 2012. Year-wise data
show that they decreased in 2013, and again increased gradually in the subsequent years. The average NGITA
during the study period was 69.08% with a standard deviation of 3.06, indicating a consistently increased utilization
of assets for general investments year-on-year. While the average IDR was 84.74% with a standard deviation of
1.92, indicating a higher rate of employment of total deposits to lock into investment assets during the period under
the study. Average Current Asset (CA) ratio was 0.16% and the bank maintained it <0.50% throughout the study
period. These results apparently suggest that short-term solvency of the bank became weak year-on-year.
Particularly, the CA ratio result apparently indicates an extreme poor liquidity status as the bank maintained a very
low level of current assets to mitigate its current liabilities. Low level of current assets, however, does not pose a
concern about the bank's ability to cover its short-term liabilities because of a number of reasons. Firstly, banks
typically have a high level of short-term payable compared to a few short-term receivables. Secondly, there is
usually a very tight control of cash, to fund investment in different sectors. Finally, banks every working day receive
a huge amount of cash from deposits, which enables banks maintaining a high volume of cash. Moreover, the
scenario was not alarming because the bank maintained its
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 58
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
Liquidity within several regulatory limits (as stated before, the standard parameters of the Bangladesh Bank are for
CRR is 6.5%, SLR is 5.5%, and IDR is <90%). For example, during the study period, the bank’s Cash Reserve Ratio
(CRR) stayed within 7.09%-9.20%, the ranges of Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) and Investment Deposit Ratio
(IDR) were 9.24%-23.51% and 82.35%-87.80%, respectively. The CA ratio result apparently indicates an extreme
poor liquidity status as the bank maintained a very low level of current assets to mitigate its current liabilities.
Asset Quality Performance: Year-wise data presented in Table 2 show that the Non-Performing Investments to
Total Assets (NPITA) rate fluctuated trivially during the study period except with high volatility in 2015. The mean
value of NPITA was 22.65% along with standard deviation of 3.22, suggesting the bank had a high volume of non-
performing investments against its total assets all through the study period. The Provision for Investment Losses to
Total Investments (PILTI) ratio also fluctuated along with NPITA. Consequently, and according to the mean value
and standard deviation of PILTI, the provision for investment losses to total investments also behaved in the same
manner. Similarly, the results of the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) also provide evidence of a sporadic trend.
However, the year- wise data and
Table 2: Results of Asset Quality Ratios
Ratios/Years 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Mean Std. Dev.
NPITA (%) 20.22 21.83 29.36 22.35 22.74 19.38 22.65 3.22
PILTI (%) 0.68 0.71 1.09 1.07 0.83 1.03 0.90 0.17
CAR (%) 11.30 10.82 11.66 12.83 14.26 13.49 12.39 1.23
EMR (times) 17.88 16.37 15.29 13.99 12.59 12.13 14.71 2.03
Note: Variables are defined as follows: NPITA= non-performing investments to total assets ratio; PILTI= provision for investment losses to
total investments ratio; CAR= capital adequacy ratio; and finally, EMR= equity multiplier ratio.
the mean value of CAR with the lower standard deviation indicates that IBBL maintained a higher rate of capital
adequacy consistently well above the norm of Basell II and Basell III (the suggested minimum capital adequacy
ratios are 8% and 10.5% as per Basel II and Basel III guidelines, respectively) throughout the study period. The
results suggest that IBBL was considered to be safer and it was unlikely to become insolvent if unexpected losses
occurred, because there was good protection of depositors' assets. While year-wise data on the Equity Multiplier
Ratio (EMR) shows a steady upward trend during the study period. This ratio increased gradually year after year,
12.13 times in the year 2012 and 17.88 times in the year 2017. The average of the five years also is good, 14.71
times with standard deviation of 2.03. This result supports that of NPITA and suggests an increasing ability of IBBL
to use its capital to make loans or investments or selling off its most leveraged or risky assets, hence the bank would
be able to stand in good stead during times of crisis.
Activity Performance: Table 3 shows that the Deposit Turnover to Employees (DTE), Investments Turnover to
Employees (ITE) ratios, and Employment Efficiency Rate (EER) increased significantly in 2017 compared to those
of 2012. The mean values with high standard deviations of these indicators indicate a high improvement in
efficiency in those areas. While Revenue Turnover to Employee (RTE) ratio remained nearly the same during the
period 2012-2015; however, it started to enhance from 2016. The average RTE was 4.38% with low standard
deviation of 0.25, suggesting a consistent efficiency of employees in enhancing the revenue base of the bank
throughout the study period. In contrast, Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) was 22.45% lower in 2017 than that
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 59
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
of 2012 with the mean and standard deviation of 11.39% and 8.35, respectively. These results indicate a significant
downfall of the bank in the efficiency of utilizing its capital to generate profit during the study period.
Table 3: Results of Activity Ratios
Ratios/Years 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Mean Std. Dev.
DTE (%) 54.87 50.21 45.17 41.31 36.45 34.45 43.74 7.22
ITE (%) 51.65 45.43 38.92 34.14 31.34 30.75 38.71 7.65
RTE (%) 4.86 4.54 4.15 4.28 4.32 4.12 4.38 0.25
EER (%) 65.40 58.79 53.28 48.06 42.44 39.79 51.29 8.95
ROCE (%) 6.99 5.68 5.91 8.28 12.06 29.44 11.39 8.35
OER (%) 0.75 0.76 0.75 0.74 0.75 0.76 0.75 0.01
Note: Variables are defined as follows: DTE= deposit turnover to employees; ITE= investments turnover to employees; RTE= revenue
turnover to employees; EER= employment efficiency rate; ROCE= return on capital employed; and finally, OER= operational efficiency rate.
On the other hand, the mean and standard deviation of the Operational Efficiency Ratio (OER) were 0.75% and
0.01, respectively, suggesting a consistent efficiency of the bank in controlling the amount of the revenue spend on
the operating expenses throughout the study period.
Management Capability: Table 4 shows the average Growth of Deposits (DG) collection was 14.21% with
standard deviation of 4.61. Year-wise data shows that the deposits growth in 2012 was 22.23% that plummeted to
10.81% in 2017 (nearly 11.42% downfall). These results indicate an outsized collapse of management capability in
the collection of deposits subsequent to the year 2012. Similarly, the General Investments Growth (GGI) rate was
also 6.70% lower in 2017 compared to that of 2012. Year-wise data shows that general investments drastically fell
down from 21.93% in 2012 to 8.12% in 2013; however, it started to increase from 2014. These results indicate a
severe downfall of management capability in general investments, particularly in 2013; however, their capability
enhanced during the study period 2014-2017.
Year-wise data shows that the Growth of Income from General Investments (GIGI) also decreased significantly;
particularly, in 2014 and 2015. The rate is about 26.30% lower in 2017 compared to that of 2012, indicating a
devastating reduction in income from general investments. The average growth rate in this area during the study
period was only 10.68% with standard deviation of 11.46, suggesting an extreme inconsistent flow of income from
general investments. The reason for this farthest inconsistency in this area may be slower growth in general
investments during the period 2014-2017. The management may have been trying to improve the level of general
investments by offering at a low rate of profit sharing and also there may have higher operating costs incurred in this
regards.
Table 4: Results of Management Capability Ratios
Ratios/Years 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Mean Std. Dev.
DG (%) 10.81 10.72 9.74 18.51 13.23 22.23 14.21 4.61
GGI (%) 15.30 16.26 14.40 14.95 8.12 21.93 15.16 4.03
GIGI (%) 7.26 10.40 -3.05 3.05 12.84 33.58 10.68 11.46
GNI (%) -37.11 -39.33 -1.40 42.41 162.20 59.52 31.05 69.27
GINI (%) 4.73 16.03 -23.09 -19.96 30.75 129.15 22.94 51.12
GE (%) 1.41 -0.39 0.35 4.58 6.50 6.31 3.13 2.79
Note: Variables are defined as follows: GD= growth of deposits; GGI= growth of general investments; GIGI= growth of income from general
investments; GNI= growth of non-general investments; GINI= growth of income from non-general investments; and finally, GE= growth of
employees.
As with general investments, the Growth of Non-general Investments (GNI) also plummeted to approximately
96.63% in 2017 compared to that of 2012, indicating cataclysmic management incapability. The average growth of
GNI was 31.05% with standard deviation of 69.27, indicating a high degree of volatility in the growth of non-
general investments throughout the study period. As a result, income from those investments also decreased
significantly in 2017 compared to 2012. The mean value with high standard deviation suggests that the growth of
income from non-general investments was extremely unpredictable during the study period. Data related to
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 60
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
employees show that IBBL increased its volume of employees every study year except in 2016, despite the
management competency was heartbreaking. Overall, the results related to the management capability of IBBL
suggest a poor capability of the bank management as they failed to deploy its resources effectively and efficiently to
maximize income from investments and non-investment sectors aggressively and utilize the facilities of the bank
productively.
Financial Performance from the Bank Management Perspective: Table 5 below shows that Earnings margin
before Tax (EBT) and Earnings per Share (EPS) were 5.65% and 1.51, respectively, lower in 2017 than that of 2012.
Particularly, EBT and EPS were 23.75%, and 4.42in 2102, respectively, which gradually fell to 16.12%and 2.04,
respectively, in 2015; however, they began to increase from 2016. The average EBT and EPS of the study period is
18.76% and 2.95, respectively, with standard deviation of 2.51 and 0.74, respectively. These results indicate
reasonably consistent earnings from the banking operations and against of shares, particularly during the period
2013-2017.Further analysis reveals that Returns on Assets (ROA) was significantly lower (0.72%) in 2017
compared to that of 2012. More elaborately, ROA was 1.27% in 2012 that plummeted to 0.44% in 2015, and again,
it increased in 2016 and also decreased in 2017, suggesting a fluctuating trend throughout the study period.
Table 5: Results of Financial Performance from the Bank Management Perspective
Ratios/Years 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Mean Std. Dev.
EBT (%) 18.10 16.73 16.12 18.14 19.74 23.75 18.76 2.51
ROA (%) 0.55 0.59 0.44 0.67 0.96 1.27 0.75 0.28
ROE (%) 9.63 9.28 7.00 8.85 11.36 13.42 10 2.02
YEA (%) 8.08 8.69 9.55 10.07 11.34 11.79 9.92 1.33
EPS 2.91 2.77 2.04 2.48 3.07 4.42 2.95 0.74
Note: Variables are defined as follows: EBT= earnings margin before tax; ROA= returns on assets; ROE= returns on equity; YEA= yield on
earning assets; EPS= earnings per share; and finally, Std. Dev.= Standard Deviation.
The mean value and standard deviation of ROA was 0.75% and 0.28, respectively, indicating a bit of inconsistency
in earnings from its assets utilization throughout the study period. Further analysis shows that Return on Equity
(ROE) was 3.79% lower in 2017 than that of 2012. Specifically, it was 13.42% in 2012, which gradually went down
to 7% in 2015, and again, it started to improve from 2016. As with ROA, the result relative to ROE indicates volatile
return against shares during the study period. The Yield on Earning Assets (YEA) figures show a shattering trend as
it was constantly declining all through the study period. Overall, the financial performance of IBBL from the bank
management perspective was depressed to some extent during the period 2013-2017 compared to the year 2012.
Financial Performance from the Market Perspective: Table 6 shows that the Market Value per Share (MVPS) was
BDT 9.0 lower in 2017 than that of 2012. Year-wise data shows that MVPS was BDT 42.80 in 2012 plummeted to
BDT 27.80 in 2015; however, it began to go up from 2016. The average MVPS for the study period was BDT 32.02
with standard deviation of 6.10. These results indicate that average market value of each equity share increased by
BDT 22.025 though there was moderate volatility of the market price of shares. While Tobin’s Q (TQ) remained
relatively constant during the study period as the
Table 6: Results of Financial Performance from the Market Perspective
Ratios/Years 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Mean Std. Dev.
MVPS (BDT) 33.80 29.70 27.80 23.40 34.60 42.80 32.02 6.10
TQ 1.0045 1.0008 0.9966 0.9863 1.0124 1.0285 1.00 0.01
Note: Variables are defined as follows: MVPS= market value per share; TQ= Tobin’s Q; and finally, Std. Dev.= Standard Deviation.
Mean value of it was 1.0 with standard deviation of 0.01 for the study period. However, TQ ratio shows a low value
(<1) in the years 2014 and 2015, indicating that the replacement costs of IBBL's assets were greater than the value
5The face value of each equity share of IBBL is BDT 10.00; accordingly, average market price increased by BDT 22.02 (32.02-
10.00).
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 61
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
of its shares; consequently, share price was undervalued. Conversely, a high TQ (>1) in different financial years
suggests that IBBL’s share was higher-priced than its replacement costs of assets; implying the share was
overvalued. The TQ results substantiate that of MPVS, as both indicators indicate a downfall in the market value of
shareholder investments in the years 2014 and 2015.
Financial Performance from the Shareholder Perspective: Table 7 shows that Economic Value Added (EVA) was
BDT 4444 million higher in 2017 compared to that of 2012. The average EVA for the study period was BDT 5,635
million with standard deviation of 1867.30. Year-wise data shows no negative value of EVA throughout the study
period. These results indicate that the bank successfully created value-based shareholder value at a volatile rate
during the study period.
Conclusion
The study is an attempt to measure the financial performance of IBBL from three different perspectives, such as the
bank management perspective, market perspective, and shareholder perspective for the period 2012-2017. The study
found that the bank experienced a downfall of performance during the period 2013-2015 compared to the year 2012;
however, the situation began to improve from 2016. Despite the downfall of performance in several study years, the
overall financial performance of the bank from all perspectives was satisfactory with a little variation throughout the
period under the study. From the consistency point of view, the financial performance of the bank from all
perspectives was moderately stable.
The downfall of financial performance during the period 2013-2015 may be related to the poor management
capability of the bank. The ratios related to the management capability indicate that there was a high inconsistency
in management capability in the collection of deposits, which led to an inconsistent volume of general investments
during the period under the study. Consequently, a devastating collapse in income from general investments was
noticed. Also, income from non-general investments was found to be extremely volatile during the study period. The
study finds that the trends of almost all activity ratios being examined are upward, suggesting a gradual
improvement in efficiency of the bank throughout the years under the study. This result, however, contrasts with that
of management capability ratios, indicating an interesting trend. This is because “a more efficient bank–which,
presumably, earns more, relative to some measure of its assets or liabilities ought to have the greater wherewithal for
expansion and ought actually to grow faster…….” (Khusro et al., 1971). Short-term solvency ratios suggest that the
bank did not experience liquidity problems during the study period, while asset quality ratios suggest there was good
protection of depositors’ money. The results related to short-term solvency and asset quality imply that the bank was
less likely to become insolvent and it would have been able to tackle the crisis during the bank-run situation.
Satisfactory asset quality, adequate short-term solvency, and activity performance seemed to have compensated poor
performance in the areas of management capability. Consequently, and on the whole, the study provides evidence of
the fair financial performance of the bank from all perspectives.
The outcomes of the study are important for different stakeholders of the bank, particularly employees, depositors,
and shareholders because they are in a panic about the prospect of the bank due to the recent management change.
The study suggests there is nothing to be panic. The current bank management also requires the same outcomes, as
they require improving management capability areas to achieve its vision.
The results, however, are subject to several limitations. The study employs a range of financial ratios, which are
considered to be short-term performance measures, to measure the bank's performance. Moreover, the study did not
assess the causal relationship between financial performance and other financial factors. Therefore, for measuring
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 62
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
long-term and sustainable financial performance, the future study may incorporate relevant non-financial data (e.g.,
customer satisfaction, ease of availability of service, quality of service, etc.) into the study. Also, econometric
methods (e.g., multiple regression analysis) may be applied in the future study to determine the causal effect of
different financial factors on financial performance.
References
Abduh, M. and Chowdhury, N.T. (2012), “Does Islamic Banking matter for economic growth in Bangladesh?”,
Journal of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance, Vol. 8, No.3, pp. 104-113.
Akhtaruzzaman, M., Bakar, R. and Islam, M.A. (2016), “Socio-economic impact of Islamic Banking and its future
in Bangladesh: A case of IBBL”, International Business Management, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 78-83.
Banerjee, B. (2005), Financial Policy and Management Accounting, Prentice Hall, New Delhi.
Bangladesh Bank (2016), Annual Report, available at:
https://www.bb.org.bd/pub/annual/anreport/ar1516/index1516.php (accessed 01 September 2018).
BPP (2016), “P5-Advanced Performance Management”, BPP publication, London, UK.
Chakraborty, J., Salam, F. and Rabbany, M.G. (2015), “Financial performance analysis of Islamic Banks in
Bangladesh: A case study on Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL)”, International Journal of Economics,
Finance and Management Sciences, Vol. 3, No.2, pp. 99-106.
Delen, D., Kuzey, C. and Uyar, A. (2013), “Measuring firm performance using financial ratios: A decision tree
approach”, Expert Systems with Applications, Vol. 40, No. 10, pp. 3970-3983.
Haniffa, R. and Hudaib, M. (2006), “Corporate governance structure and performance of Malaysian listed
companies”, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, Vol. 33, No. 7&8, pp. 1034-1062.
Hassan, F. A., Qamar, M.R. and Chachi, A. (2017), “Role of Islamic Microfinance Scheme in Poverty Alleviation
and Well-being of Women Implemented by Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited”, Islam Ekonomisi Finansi
Dergisi, Vol.1, pp. 1-32.
Henwood, D. (1997), “Wall Street”, Verso, New York, USA.
Hossain, M. K. (2018), “Relationship between Internal Corporate Governance Mechanisms and Shareholder Value
in the Banking Sector in Bangladesh: The Mediating Effect of Non-equity Stakeholders”, Unpublished PhD
Dissertation, University of Cardiff Metropolitan, UK.
Hossain, M.S. (2017), “Analysis of financial Performance of Islamic Banking in Bangladesh: A Study on Islami
Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL)”, International Journal of Ethics in Social Sciences, Vol.5, No.1, pp. 15-
28.
IBBL (2016), “Annual Report-Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited”, available at:
https://www.islamibankbd.com/annual_report/Annual%20Report%202016.pdf (accessed 30 august 2018).
IBBL (2017), “Annual Report-Islami Bank Bangadesh Limited”, available at:
https://www.islamibankbd.com/annual_report/Annual%20Report%202017.pdf (accessed 29 August 2018).
Ibrahim, M., Mohammad, K.D., Hoque, N. and Khan, M.A. (2014), “Investigating the performances of Islamic
Banks in Bangladesh”, Asian Social Science, Vol.10, No.22, pp.165-180.
Islam, K.M.A. (2016), “Rural development scheme: A case study on Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited”,
International Journal of Finance and Banking Research, Vol.2, No.4, pp. 129-138.
Khusro, A.M., Raghavan, S.N., Ram, K. and Siddharthan, N.S. (1971), “Banking efficiency and banking growth”,
Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 6 No.23, pp. 1150-1152.
Mawla, A.H.M.R. and Khanam, D.F.A. (2018), “Performance evaluation of Islamic Banks in Bangladesh–A
statistical analysis”, European Journal of Business and Management, Vol.10, No.36, pp. 204-213.
Ntim, C.G. (2009), “Internal corporate governance structures and firm financial performance: Evidence from South
African listed firms,” PhD Dissertation, University of Glasgow, UK,available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/39707224_Internal_Corporate_Governance_and_Firm_Financial_P
erformance_Evidence_from_South_African_Listed_Firms (accessed 29 August 2018).
Rahaman, M.M. and Rafiq, M.R.I. (2016), “The role of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited in economic development
of Bangladesh”, International Journal of Ethics in Social Sciences, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 133-145.
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 63
Business Review- A Journal of Business Administration Discipline, Khulna University, Volume: 12, Number: 1&2, January-December 2017,
pp.53-64 (Print ISSN : 1811-3788; Online ISSN : 2664-3502)
Rahman, S. and McDonald, N. (2012), “Economic development of Bangladesh: The role of IBBL”, IIUC Studies,
Vol.9, pp. 323-334.
Sang, N.H.K. (1998), “Tobin’s Q for Canadian Firms”, Unpublished master degree dissertation, Concordia
University, Canada, available at:
https://clues.concordia.ca/search/c?SEARCH=HF%205681%20R25H36%201998 (accessed 21 August 2018).
Sarker, M.N.S., Sultana, A. and Prodhan, A.Z.M.S. (2017), “Financial performance analysis of Islamic Bank in
Bangladesh: A case study on Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited”, World Journal of Economic and Finance, Vol.
3, No. 1, pp. 52-60.
Sultana, N. (2010), “Development of Islamic Banking in Bangladesh”, BIU Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1&2, pp. 34-42.
Teker, S., Teker, D. and Kent, O. (2011), “Measuring commercial Banks’ performances in Turkey: A proposed
model”, Journal of Applied Finance and Banking, Vol.1, No.3, pp. 97-112.
The Daily Star (2017), “Major changes in Islami Bank key positions” [Online], 6 January 2017, p.1, available at:
https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/major-changes-islami-bank-key-positions-1341244 (accessed 24
August 2018).
The Dhaka Tribune (2017), “Islami Bank gets new chairman, MD” [Online], 5 January 2017, p.1, available at:
https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/banks/2017/01/05/islami-bank-chairman-md (accessed 24 August
2018).
The Independent (2017), “Massive changes in Islami Bank new Chairman, MD appointed” [Online], 6 January
2017, p.1, available at: http://www.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/75503 (accessed 24 August
2018).
The Prothom Alo (2018), “Islami Bank in crisis 15 months into changeover” [Online], 25 April 2018, p. 4, available
at: https://en.prothomalo.com/economy/news/174622/Islami-Bank-in-crisis-in-just-one-and-a-half-yrs
(accessed 24 August 2018).
Turner Review (2009), “A Regulatory Response to the Global Banking Crisis”, Financial Services Authority,
London, UK, available at: http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/other/turner_ review.pdf (accessed 5 February 2019).
Uddin, M.A. (2015), “Risk management practices in Islamic Bank: A case study of Islami Bank Bangladesh
Limited”, MPRA Paper No. 68781, available at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/68781/ (accessed 26
August 2018), pp. 1-32.
Vittas, D. (1991), “Measuring commercial bank efficiency: use and misuse of bank operating ratios”, Policy
Research Working Paper, Series No. 806, Country Economics Department, The World Bank.
Measurement of Financial Performance of a Commercial Bank from Varied Perspectives: A Case Study of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited 64