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Competition in fragmented markets: New evidence from the German banking industry in the light of the subprime crisis

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  • Moch, Nils

Abstract

Of all of the EU member states, Germany has the largest banking market. However, not all German banking institutions necessarily face fierce competition. Because the industry is highly fragmented, strict separation of the three existing banking pillars may impede competition, with negative effects on financial stability. We assess the competitive stances of 1,888 universal banks from 2001 to 2009 by using the Panzar–Rosse revenue test. We find evidence that measuring competition at an average country level does not necessarily generate valid evaluations of fragmented markets. In addition, we find no clear indication that either the particular objectives of cooperative and savings banks or the legal protection of these institutions impedes competition or discriminates against private banks. Therefore, as long as the relationship between competition and financial stability is dubious, the overall effect and the social costs or benefits of political measures that influence the structure of the German banking market are at least questionable.

Suggested Citation

  • Moch, Nils, 2013. "Competition in fragmented markets: New evidence from the German banking industry in the light of the subprime crisis," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 2908-2919.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:37:y:2013:i:8:p:2908-2919
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2013.04.029
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    2. Maria Karadima & Helen Louri, 2020. "Bank competition and credit risk in the Euro area, 2005-2017: Is there evidence of convergence?," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 155, European Institute, LSE.
    3. Shaffer, Sherrill & Spierdijk, Laura, 2015. "The Panzar–Rosse revenue test and market power in banking," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 340-347.
    4. Sichong Chen & Muhammad Imran Nazir & Shujahat Haider Hashmi & Ruqia Shaikh, 2019. "Bank Competition, Foreign Bank Entry, and Risk-Taking Behavior: Cross Country Evidence," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-26, June.
    5. Shijaku, Gerti, 2016. "Does concentration matter for bank stability - evidence from Albanian Banking System," MPRA Paper 79086, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Maria Karadima & Helen Louri, 2020. "Bank Competition and Credit Risk in Euro Area Banking: Fragmentation and Convergence Dynamics," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-28, March.
    7. Molterer, Manuel, 2019. "Tougher than the rest? The resilience of specialized financial intermediation to macroeconomic shocks," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 163-174.
    8. Noman, Abu Hanifa Md. & Gee, Chan Sok & Isa, Che Ruhana, 2018. "Does bank regulation matter on the relationship between competition and financial stability? Evidence from Southeast Asian countries," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 144-161.
    9. Marcello Pagnini & Paola Rossi & Valerio Vacca & Johann Burgstaller, 2017. "Dynamics of Retail-Bank Branching in Austria," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 46(3), pages 527-554, November.
    10. Rico Ihle & Ofir D. Rubin & Ziv Bar-Nahum & Roel Jongeneel, 2020. "Imperfect food markets in times of crisis: economic consequences of supply chain disruptions and fragmentation for local market power and urban vulnerability," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(4), pages 727-734, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Competition; Banking industry; Panzar–Rosse; Financial stability; Too-big-to-fail;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D20 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - General
    • D40 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - General
    • D53 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Financial Markets
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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