Determinants of the Efficiency of Banking Groups in the Main Countries of the Euro Area and Managerial and Policy Indications

The aim of this work is to propose some managerial and policy indications after identifying the possible determinants of the highest levels of efficiency achieved by the banking groups of the main Eurozone countries. This kind of analysis appears to be a very current topic in the field of intermediation studies. In fact, in a context of limited profitability and high risk that has been characterizing the banking sector, the institutions at European level, including the Bank of International Settlements, have recently highlighted the importance of analyzing the possible determinants of the efficiency in order to derive the necessary managerial and policy implications. The period of analysis - 2009-2016 - was undoubtedly characterized by a particular market turbulence and by many economic difficulties. By virtue of this, it can be considered a period of time particularly representative of the complexity that characterizes the banking and financial market over the last decade. From this work it emerges that the main determinants of higher efficiency are basically attributable to a business model more oriented towards lending and specific strategic choices, such as the achievement of a medium size accompanied by a rational assessment of the number of units belonging to the same group and adequate policies to rationalize costs and optimize liquidity reserves.