Background: Stress tests have been increasingly used as a part of the supervisory tool by national regulators after the financial crisis, which can also be used to conduct authorities’ supervisory for determining bank capital levels, assessing the health of a bank. Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to assess whether some micro factors play important roles on the changes of Common Equity Tier One Capital Ratio (between the bank accounting value and the stress testing results under the adverse scenarios).  Our secondary purpose is to investigate if our empirical results will help to provide some theoretical suggestions to regulators when they exercise stress tests.   Method: An empirical analysis by using Panel Data, introducing GARCH model to measure volatility.   Empirical foundation: The results of EU-wide stress tests and bank financial statements   Conclusion: The coefficient associated with non-performing loans to total loans is positively significant and the coefficient associated with bank size is negatively significant.  In addition, the financial system of strong banks is better to absorb financial shocks. These findings are useful, as banks is a reflection of the financial stability of an economic entity, we can use these findings as another reason to pay attention to the process of the stress testing rather just stress testing results.

Cette thèse examine trois questions importantes dans le secteur bancaire, à savoir le risque, les fonds propres et le crédit. Elle comprend trois essais empiriques. Le premier chapitre analyse l'impact du «printemps arabe» et de la crise financière mondiale de 2007-2008 sur la stabilité du secteur bancaire dans la région MENA. Les résultats montrent que le «printemps arabe» n'a pas eu d'effet négatif sur la stabilité des banques, alors que la crise financière mondiale a considérablement réduit leur stabilité. Le deuxième chapitre étudie le rôle joué par l'environnement institutionnel dans la mise en place de coussin de fonds propres par les régulateurs ou par les banques en interne. D’après les résultats, pour que les ratios de capital réglementaire soient efficaces, l'environnement institutionnel ne doit pas être négligé lors de la mise en place de ces ratios. Le troisième chapitre étudie les différents effets des droits des consommateurs et des créanciers sur le coût des prêts. Les résultats révèlent que le coût des prêts augmente en présence de lois strictes sur la protection des consommateurs, tandis que l'augmentation des droits des créanciers réduit ce coût. / This thesis examines three important issues in the banking sector, namely: Risk, Capital and Lending. It comprises of three empirical essays. The first chapter analyzes the impact of the 'Arab Spring' and the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 on the banking sector stability in the MENA region. The results show that the ‘Arab Spring’ did not have a negative effect on banks’ stability, while the Global Financial Crisis significantly decreased banks’ stability. The second chapter investigates the role played by the institutional environment in determining capital buffers set either by regulators or by banks internally. The findings provide evidence that for the regulatory capital ratios to be effective, the institutional environment should not be neglected when implementing these ratios. The third chapter investigates the different effects of both consumers’ and creditors’ rights on the cost of lending. The results reveal that the cost of lending increases in the presence of strong financial consumer protection laws, while higher creditors’ rights decrease this cost.

Small and medium sized enterprises constitute an overwhelming majority of all companies in the economy. They are the resource of the growth of GDP, innovation and significantly contribute to the employment. Representatives of the European Union are aware of the important role which these companies play and they try to create the most convenient and optimal business environment. The small and medium sized enterprises are supported through institutions such as Czechinvest and the ČMZRB which receive funds from structural funds of the European Union and the state budget. In my thesis I made evaluation of the projects of the SME Finance Facility program under which subsidy and credit lines were granted to the ČMZRB and various leasing companies. Finance was provided from various european development banks and were intended to grant the loans and leasings with better conditions than loans and leasings from unsubsidized banks. Based on the results from the survey I came to a conclusion that the program was relevant only to a certain extent because companies had significant alternative opportunities of financing their investment projects.