The Role of Loans in Achieving the Financial Stability of Commercial Banks
Keywords:
Loans, Financial Stability, Iraqi Commercial BanksAbstract
The present study was conducted to examine the role of loans in achieving the financial stability of commercial banks. In terms of purpose, this research is an applied study; in terms of nature, it is considered quantitative; and based on the method of implementation, it falls within the category of correlational research. The statistical population of the study consisted of 85 financial managers, credit managers, and senior financial experts from 10 active commercial banks in the Republic of Iraq (including state-owned banks, domestic private banks, and foreign banks), who were selected through purposive sampling based on operational accessibility, level of organizational responsibility, and degree of professional expertise. The data collection method was both field-based and documentary. The research instrument was a 10-item questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale, with a content validity index of 0.91 and a reliability coefficient exceeding 0.70. Data analysis was conducted at both descriptive and inferential levels using regression analysis in SPSS software. The results indicated that lending has a positive and statistically significant effect on banks’ financial stability (β = 0.28). Based on the conducted analyses, the effect of lending on financial stability occurs primarily indirectly and through increased profitability and improvement in the capital base.
References
Chen, R., Wang, S., Zhu, Z., Yu, J., & Dang, C. (2023). Credit ratings of Chinese online loan platforms based on factor scores and K-means clustering algorithm. Journal of Management Science and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmse.2022.12.003
Chowdhury, M. A. I., Uddin, M. S., Ullah, H., Ahmmed, M., & Shadek, M. J. (2023). What causes non-performing loans? Evidence from the Islamic Banking Sector of Bangladesh. International Journal of Accounting & Finance Review, 14(1), 11-21. https://doi.org/10.46281/ijafr.v14i1.1926
Ciptawan, M. (2023). The influence of loan to deposit ratio, effective tax rate, and non-performing loan toward return on asset in banking companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. Proceedings International Conference on Entrepreneurship, 2, 357-365. https://ojs.uph.edu/index.php/IConEnt/article/view/6220/2811
Ho, S. Y., & Wang, K. (2023). Credit risk and bank stability: A global perspective. Journal of Banking & Finance, 146, 106678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2022.106678
Khemiri, M. A., & Nouaili, M. (2025). Non-Performing Loans in the MENA Region: How Green Growth Mitigates the Impact of Climate Risk. Asian Economic and Financial Review, 15(8), 1228-1243. https://doi.org/10.55493/5002.v15i8.5506
Loang, O. K., Ahmad, Z., & Naveenan, R. V. (2023). Non-Performing Loans, Macroeconomic and Bank-specific Variables in Southeast Asia during COVID-19 Pandemic. The Singapore Economic Review, 68(03), 941-961. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0217590822500679
Mehrara, M., & Khodadadi, F. (2017). The effect of macroeconomic fluctuations on the lending behavior of commercial banks in Iran. Journal of Islamic Banking and Economics, 6(18), 23-39. http://mieaoi.ir/browse.php?a_id=452&sid=1&slc_lang=fa
Mirović, V., Đorđević, B., & Mihajlović, D. (2023). Measuring financial strength and efficiency of commercial banks: An integrated approach. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 36(1), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2022.2158345
Mousavi, S. F., & Ghazari Neshabouri, A. (2024). The role of banks in financing economic enterprises (a review article). Economics and Financial Policy, 2(1), 57-69. https://doi.org/10.61838/efp.11
Muzuva, M., & Muzuva, D. (2024). The Impact of Climate Change on Banks Loan Portfolios and Strategies for Effective Climate Risk Management. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), 13(6), 148-157. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v13i6.3510
Nguyen, T. C., & Thuy, T. H. (2023). Geopolitical risk and the cost of bank loans. Finance Research Letters, 54, 103812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2023.103812
Saeed, M. M. (2023). Financial Management Practices, Competitive Advantage and Loan Performance of Selected Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Ghana. Business Strategy & Development, 6(4), 1018-1036. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.295
Shahchera, M., & Taheri, M. (2016). The mechanism of monetary policy transmission on bank lending through off-balance-sheet items. Journal of Economic Research and Policies, 24, 170-145. https://qjerp.ir/browse.php?a_id=1172&sid=1&slc_lang=fa
Tab'at Mo'atoqi, F. (2023). The Role of Venture Capital and Loans on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Conference on Management and Humanities Research in Iran,
Talouei Eshleghi, A., Nikoumaram, H., & Maghdouri Sharbiani, F. (2022). Classifying Bank Loan Applicants Using Support Vector Machine Technique. Management Foresight, 21(1), 1-19.
Thakor, A., & Edison, G. Y. (2024). Funding liquidity creation by banks. Journal of Financial Stability, 73, 101295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfs.2024.101295
Tolouei Ashlaghi, A., Nikoomaram, H., & Maghdouri Sharbiani, F. (2022). Classification of Bank Loan Applicants Using Support Vector Machine Techniques. Foresight Management, 21(1), 1-19.
Wei, P., Mao, Y., Zhu, M., & Zhu, Q. (2025). Environment court, shareholder conflict and corporate governance: evidence from market reactions to bank loan announcements. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 16(1), 79-106. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-01-2023-0009
Xu, X. (2023). Explore the Impact of China Fintech Loans on the Financing of SMEs. Advances in Economics Management and Political Sciences, 30(1), 8-13. https://doi.org/10.54254/2754-1169/30/20231412
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohammed Abdulridha Breesam Abboodi (Author); Maryam Khalili Araghi; Zohreh Hajiha (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

