This paper analyses the production technology of Portuguese banks during the 1992-2004 period through the estimation of a translog cost frontier. Banks are modelled as firms which produce loans and other earning assets, choosing the cost minimizing combination of labour, capital and interest...

The purpose of the present paper is to assess the competitive behaviour of Portuguese banking groups during the period ranging from 1991 to 2004, using the non-structural test developed by Panzar and Rosse. The main findings are that the Portuguese banking system has experienced weak competition...

The purpose of the present paper is to shed some light on why Portuguese banks hold significant capital buffers above the required regulatory minimum, through the estimation of a dynamic panel data model. The main findings are that the capital buffer is positively influenced by several broad...