Cantonal Bank Panel Data Set

Self-compiled, balanced panel dataset of 21 Swiss cantons and their respective cantonal banks over 61 years (1960-2020). The dataset contains bank variables like return on equity, capital ratio, interest rate spread, mortgage ratio and branch density as well as reform variables denoting which reforms cantonal banks underwent during the period.
The purpose of the data is to test whether cantons have changed their conception of public ownership by testing the effect of reforms on performance (ROE) and bank metrics, which capture the social welfare function of banks. Cantonal banks were originally founded to serve an underbanked cantonal public by providing stable and inexpensive banking services for borrowers and savers.
The data shows that reforms, summarized in a commercialization index, boosted the return on equity, lowered capital ratios, increased the net interest rate spread and decreased branch density. The results imply that a trade-off exists between reform-induced profitability increases and social welfare, as commercialization increased risk by lowering capital ratios, increased the costs of financial intermediation by widening spreads, and reduced bank service coverage in the respective canton.

本数据集为自行编制的平衡面板数据集（balanced panel dataset），覆盖1960年至2020年共61年间的21个瑞士州（Swiss canton）及其对应的州立银行（cantonal bank）。数据集包含两类核心变量：其一为银行层面变量，包括净资产收益率（return on equity, ROE）、资本比率（capital ratio）、利率差（interest rate spread）、按揭贷款比率（mortgage ratio）与网点密度（branch density）；其二为改革变量，用于标识该时期内各州立银行所经历的各类改革。
本数据集的研究目标为检验瑞士各州是否已转变其公共所有权理念，具体路径为考察改革对银行绩效（ROE）以及反映银行社会福利职能的各项银行指标的影响。州立银行最初设立的初衷是服务于金融服务覆盖不足的州内公众，为借款者与储户提供稳定且低成本的金融服务。
数据结果表明，通过商业化指数（commercialization index）综合衡量的各类改革，提升了净资产收益率，降低了资本比率，扩大了净息差（net interest rate spread），并减少了银行网点密度。
研究结果显示，改革引致的盈利提升与社会福利之间存在权衡关系：商业化改革通过降低资本比率放大了经营风险，通过扩大息差推高了金融中介（financial intermediation）成本，同时也降低了对应州内的银行服务覆盖范围。