The study aims to examine the moderating role of COVID-19 in the effect of financial technology on bank performance in the Egyptian banking sector.
The study uses a panel regression model, estimated using a fixed-effects approach, for the period spanning 2016–2022.
The study reveals a significant positive effect of financial technology on bank performance. In contrast, control variables such as the inflation rate and firm size show no notable impact on performance. Conversely, the annual gross domestic product growth rate exhibits a positive and significant influence on bank performance. Furthermore, COVID-19 moderates the relationship between the cost of software automation and variables such as capital adequacy (CA), asset quality (AQ) and liquidity, as well as the relationship between ATM machines and liquidity. However, it does not affect the relationship between the number of credit cards and any performance metrics.
The study focuses exclusively on one country, Egypt and one industry, banking. Other financial institutions, such as insurance companies, leasing companies and investment trusts, are not included in this analysis.
The results confirm the policymakers should encourage collaboration between banks and fintech firms by relaxing regulatory constraints and providing incentives for mergers and acquisitions, which can generate significant synergies within the banking sector.
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the impact of financial technology on bank performance using five different measures: CA, AQ, earnings, liquidity management and financial stability.
