Indeed, the specification of equilibrium in the world economy depends on the exchange rate regime and thus, the early contributions to the postwar literature on exchange rate economics are to a large extent concerened with the role of speculation in foreign exchange markets. However, the world...

This paper analyses the effects of concentration on profitability in the US banking sector from 1994-2005, using bank-level panel data. A new index of concentration is proposed, which reflects the depth and intensity of concentration. The econometric specification facilitates the simultaneous...

In this article we explore organisational changes associated with the computarization of British savings banks while making a running comparison with developments in Spain. This international comparison addresses the evolution of the same organisational form in two distinct competitive...

In this article we explore organisational changes associated with the automation of financial intermediaries in Spain and the UK. This international comparison looks at the evolution of the same organisational form in two distinct competitive environments. Changes in regulation and technological...

This paper traces developments from the inception of the 1988 Basel Capital Accord to its present form (Basel II). In highlighting the flaws of the 1988 Accord, an evaluation is made of the Basel Committee’s efforts to address such weaknesses through Basel II. Whilst considerable progress has...

The modern economic theory implemented today is inherently flawed. Unfortunately these flaws are not apparent in contemporary economic theory which is built on the idea that scarcity is an ever present condition; an approach referred to as scarce resource theory (SRT) in operating level...

Our paper explores the risks that arise due to indebtedness of Hungarian local governments. Our analysis relies on interviews conducted with the heads of the local government business branches of the credit institutions most important in terms of local government financing and on the related...

The paper analyses the new measure implemented by Croatian national bank (CNB). The measure is a decrease in the reserve requirement, but the actual release of funds is contingent on increase in lending to firms. This new measure is significant because for the first time in Croatia there is a...

We document the development of the major international banks since the late nineties, analysing balance sheet data for 27 large and complex financial institutions. We argue that balance sheet expansion and business line diversification paved the way to the rise of the universal banking model....

The objective of this paper is to analyze the efficiency of the Italian Banking System over the period 2006-2010. By applying the Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA) to a panel of 700 banks, the analysis is based on the joint estimation of a cost function and an efficiency equation (Battese and...