Author Description

Profound changes have recently taken place in the role of banking in developed countries and further important structural developments will follow. This study of European banking integrates both the changing structure of the commercial banking industry in Europe and the strategic implications of these changes. The book concentrates on the economics of banking, presenting an analysis of the principal environmental forces affecting the financial sector: deregulation, internationalization, economic instability, technological change, and financial innovation. It then offers valuable information on current trends in five members of the EC. The analysis includes a study of the recent evolution of each country's financial sector, each sector's economic outlook, as well as the changes in the regulatory environment. The book also discusses some strategic choices of European banks--scale, diversification, and internationalization.