Do private banks act as hard-nosed bankers when firms get financially distressed compared to public banks that have the mandate to support regional economy? For German firms in the period 2000-2005, I find that the probability of leaving the market after financial distress is higher for firms...

The article presents the analysis of determinants of banks' competitiveness in local financial markets, with respect to local (cooperative) banks and branches of large commercial banks. The paper also evaluates the competitive position of the banks using the synthetic measure of competitive...