Very low policy rates as well as the substantial redesign of rules and supervisory institutions have changed background conditions for the Euro Area's financial intermediary sector substantially. Both policy initiatives have been targeted at improving societal welfare. And their potential side...

The spreading of the Covid-19 virus causes a reduction in economic activity worldwide and may lead to new risks to financial stability. The authors draw attention to the urgency of the targeted mitigation strategies on the European level and suggest taking coordinated action on the fiscal side...

The consequences of diversity over a number of pertinent dimensions is often not adequately acknowledged in economics. As Reinhard H. Schmidt (in this issue) states: “One could easily cite important recent research contributions with no traces of institutions and institutional differences of...

Interest in the role of diversity in banking sectors has increased substantially since the financial crisis (and the subsequent sovereign debt crises) have hit European countries differentially. The purpose of this note is to hint at crucial research gaps in terms of appreciating consequences of...

The global financial crisis (as well as the European sovereign debt crisis) has led to a substantial redesign of rules and institutions - aiming in particular at underwriting financial stability. At the same time, the crisis generated a renewed interest in properly appraising systemic financial...

With the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in full swing, banks face a challenging environment. They will need to address disappointing results and adverse balance sheet restatements, the intensity of which depends on the evolution of the euro area economies. At the same time, vulnerable...