This paper provides empirical evidence on the causality relations between bank performance and economic growth in a panel including 27 European Union member-states from 1996 through to the onset of the 2008 financial crisis. Bank performance is represented not only by the Return on Assets (ROA)...

Using static and dynamic panel estimates in a sample including all 28 European Union countries during the last decade, this paper seeks to improve upon the existing literature with empirical evidence on the important role that well-functioning EU banking institutions can play in promoting...

We compare Europe with the USA and Canada as regards business cycle synchronization and core-periphery patterns. A long sample (1950-2005) makes it possible to study how these aspects have evolved over time. Results support the economic viability of EMU. Average cyclical correlations among...