THE IMPACT OF ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT ON COMMERCIAL BANKS' PROFITABILITY

Abstract

The current stage of development of the Russian banking sector is characterized by digital transformation, which involves the active development of digital technologies and infrastructure, and the formation of business ecosystems. Building ecosystems allows banks to expand their customer base, diversify revenue sources, and optimize operational processes. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the development of Russian bank ecosystems on net fee and commission income as a key profitability indicator. This article examines approaches to disclosing the economic content of the "banking ecosystem" definition. The article presents key indicators of user evaluations of banking applications across five levels of banking system development in the global economy (basic, developing, digital, ecosystem). A comparative analysis of the ecosystems of the largest Russian banks – Sberbank and T-Bank – is conducted. Correlation and regression models are constructed to assess the impact of indicators characterizing the development of bank ecosystems (number of active monthly users, ratio of operating expenses to income) on net fee and commission income. It is revealed that banks' ecosystem transformation strategies vary significantly, which leads to heterogeneity in the influence of these factors on their profitability.