After the global financial crisis: From international to multinational banking?

The financial crisis has led to a reconsideration of banks’ global business models. Using a dataset derived from the BIS banking statistics, this paper studies the geography of global banking. It distinguishes between “international” and “multinational” banks, their respective funding models and the associated degree of centralisation in their operations. As a result of post-crisis regulatory reform, the long-term trend toward local banking is likely to accelerate, especially if liquidity regulations are applied locally.