Conventional models of the industrial organisation theory usually state that in concentrated industries firms have significant market power, and that competition can be easily reduced if the leading firms collude. However, recent theoretical analyses show that strong concentration does not...

In this paper we develop an empirical two-stage model of competition for the banking industry that incorporates the choice of capacity in the form of new branches. It is estimated using data on Italian banks for the years 1995-2009. The results show that the conduct of banks is significantly...

In this paper we assess the impact of multimarket contact of banks on their market power by means of a simultaneous equation model, in which the divergence of price from marginal cost is a function of multimarket linkages. The model is estimated using aggregate data from the Italian regions for...