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Business Opportunities and Market Realities in Financial Conglomerates

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  • Sotiris K Staikouras

    (Risk Institute & Emerging Markets Group, Cass Business School, City University, 106 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8TZ, U.K.)

Abstract

The Financial Services Act of 1986 prompted changes to remove the regulatory hedges among financial institutions. The present work sets out to explore the non-quantitative aspects of the interface between banks and insurance firms. Without discounting any quantitative analysis, the study diverts from the existing literature by placing equal weight to the so far overlooked qualitative elements. The paper reviews the various market trends and highlights the differences among major European countries. The diverse and inconclusive bancassurance literature is also briefly reviewed. Having discussed the cultural differences and integration obstacles between banks and insurance firms, the study proposes a three-dimensional radar-shape approach for the financial conglomerate. More specifically, product complexity, distribution infrastructure and market integration are put forward as the forcing variables underlying the provision platform of modern hybrid financial services. The analysis further elaborates on a number of market-based synthetic corporate structures drawn from the European experience as a whole. Finally, two broad drivers – exogenous (market) and idiosyncratic (operational and strategic) – along with their constituents, mainly held responsible for the success/risk of the new universal financial intermediary, are identified and analysed. The paper concludes by summarizing the main issues and pointing to avenues for potential research. The Geneva Papers (2006) 31, 124–148. doi:10.1057/palgrave.gpp.2510060

Suggested Citation

  • Sotiris K Staikouras, 2006. "Business Opportunities and Market Realities in Financial Conglomerates," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 31(1), pages 124-148, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:gpprii:v:31:y:2006:i:1:p:124-148
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Isinta & H. M & Aduda & J & Magutu & P, 2019. "Intervening Effect of Savings Mobilization on the Relationship between Bancassurance and Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya," Journal of Finance and Investment Analysis, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 8(2), pages 1-4.
    2. Pejman Abedifar & Amine Tarazi & Lawrence J White, 2020. "The Sale of Failed Banks: The Characteristics of Acquirers -as Well as of the Acquired -Matter," Working Papers hal-02964631, HAL.
    3. Staikouras, Sotiris K., 2009. "An event study analysis of international ventures between banks and insurance firms," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 675-691, October.
    4. Małgorzata Rutkowska & Nina Szczygieł, 2016. "Bancassurance as a Source of Financing Eco-investments: The Polish Case within the European Context," WORking papers in Management Science (WORMS) WORMS/16/03, Department of Operations Research and Business Intelligence, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology.
    5. Tsai-Jyh Chen, 2019. "Marketing channel, corporate reputation, and profitability of life insurers: evidence of bancassurance in Taiwan," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 44(4), pages 679-701, October.
    6. Chih-Te Yang & Yensen Ni & Mu-Hsiang Yu & Yuhsin Chen & Paoyu Huang, 2023. "Decoding the Profitability of Insurance Products: A Novel Approach to Evaluating Non-Participating and Participating Insurance Policies," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-16, June.
    7. Fields, L. Paige & Fraser, Donald R. & Kolari, James W., 2007. "Bidder returns in bancassurance mergers: Is there evidence of synergy?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 3646-3662, December.
    8. Elyas Elyasiani & Sotiris K. Staikouras & Panagiotis Dontis-Charitos, 2016. "Cross-Industry Product Diversification and Contagion in Risk and Return: The case of Bank-Insurance and Insurance-Bank Takeovers," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 83(3), pages 681-718, September.
    9. Cuong, Ly Kim, 2021. "Are financial holding companies' subsidiaries riskier than bank holding companies’ affiliates?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 1025-1033.
    10. Andreas Merikas & Sotiris K. Staikouras, 2008. "The Greek Bank-Insurance Model: A Look At A Not-So-New Corporate Structure," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 25-34.
    11. Liang, Hsin-Yu & Ching, Yann Peng & Chan, Kam C., 2013. "Enhancing bank performance through branches or representative offices? Evidence from European banks," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 495-508.
    12. Chernobai, Anna & Ozdagli, Ali & Wang, Jianlin, 2021. "Business complexity and risk management: Evidence from operational risk events in U.S. bank holding companies," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 418-440.
    13. Mohamed Nurullah & Sotiris K. Staikouras, 2008. "The Separation of Banking from Insurance: Evidence from Europe," Multinational Finance Journal, Multinational Finance Journal, vol. 12(3-4), pages 157-184, September.
    14. Elyas Elyasiani & Elena Kalotychou & Sotiris Staikouras & Gang Zhao, 2015. "Return and Volatility Spillover among Banks and Insurers: Evidence from Pre-Crisis and Crisis Periods," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 48(1), pages 21-52, August.

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