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Bank mergers and banking structure in the United States, 1980-98

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  • Stephen A. Rhoades

Abstract

The U.S. banking industry experienced a sustained and unprecedented merger movement from 1980 to 1998. During that period, approximately 8,000 bank mergers occurred, involving about $2.4 trillion in acquired assets. The 1990s, especially 1994-98, was a period of numerous large bank mergers, including several that were among the largest in U.S. banking history. This study describes various aspects of that bank merger activity and some of the changes in U.S. banking structure and performance that took place during 1980-98. With respect to bank merger activity, the study examines the number and asset size of the acquiring and acquired banks, by year and state; the identities and sizes of the parties involved in large mergers; the types of mergers (horizontal and market extension), markets (urban and rural), and corporate form of the acquirers (independent banks and bank holding companies); and the number of mergers and related assets approved by each federal bank regulator. With respect to U.S. banking structure and performance, the study examines the change in the number of banks and offices, the number of automated teller machines (ATMs) and ATM transactions, nationwide and local market banking concentration, and bank profits and stock prices. The study found that there was a very large decline in the number of banks and banking organizations from 1980 to 1998. Merger activity remained at a high level throughout most of the period. Nevertheless, the number of banking offices continued to grow despite the large decline in the number of banks and the burgeoning of ATMs. Concentration of U.S. bank deposits among the largest banks increased greatly, especially from 1994 to 1998, when a number of exceptionally large mergers occurred. Concentration increased substantially in many local banking markets, especially in large metropolitan areas, where concentration tended to be relatively low. Initial statistical tests indicate that bank mergers and a decline in the number of banks have played a role in increasing local market concentration. At the same time, the study suggests that \"switching costs\"--that is, the costs customers incur to change banks--are an increasingly important characteristic of retail banking. Because bank competition within local market areas directly affects retail customers, any trends toward increasing concentration and higher switching costs suggest that antitrust laws may become a constraint on more mergers than in the past. These tendencies suggest that divestitures will likely become a public policy remedy that will be used with increasing frequency.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen A. Rhoades, 2000. "Bank mergers and banking structure in the United States, 1980-98," Staff Studies 174, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedgss:174
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yongil Jeon & Stephen M. Miller, 2007. "Births, Deaths, And Marriages In The U.S. Commercial Banking Industry," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 45(2), pages 325-341, April.
    2. Hakimi, Abdelaziz & Hamdi, Helmi & Djlassi, Mouldi, 2013. "Testing the concentration-performance relationship in the Tunisian banking sector," MPRA Paper 55927, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2013.
    3. Prosper F. Bangwayo-Skeete & Ryan W. Skeete, 2007. "Regional Integration and Elasticities of Export Demand in Barbados," Money Affairs, CEMLA, vol. 0(1), pages 23-41, January-J.
    4. Bos, Jaap W.B. & Kolari, James W. & van Lamoen, Ryan C.R., 2013. "Competition and innovation: Evidence from financial services," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1590-1601.
    5. Zou, YongDong & Miller, Stephen M. & Malamud, Bernard, 2011. "Geographic deregulation and commercial bank performance in U.S. state banking markets," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 28-35, February.
    6. Robert Pollin & James Heintz, 2013. "Study of U.S. Financial System," FESSUD studies fstudy10, Financialisation, Economy, Society & Sustainable Development (FESSUD) Project.
    7. Alicia García-Herrero & Josep Vilarrubia Author-Workplace-Name: Banco Central de la República Argentina, 2007. "The Laffer Curve of Macroeconomic Volatility and Growth: Can it be Explained by the Different Nature of Crises?," Money Affairs, CEMLA, vol. 0(1), pages 43-60, January-J.
    8. Jason Allen & Walter Engert & Ying Liu, 2007. "A Comparison of Canadian and US Universal Banks: Efficiency, Productivity, and the Role of Technology," Money Affairs, CEMLA, vol. 0(1), pages 61-96, January-J.
    9. Ahmad Bello, Dogarawa, 2006. "Challenges of Bank Consolidation to the Central Bank of Nigeria: A Descriptive Analysis," MPRA Paper 23198, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Tom Madison & Greg Roth & Andy Saporoschenko, 2004. "Bank Mergers and Insider Nontrading," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 39(2), pages 203-229, May.
    11. Martin Goetz, 2011. "Bank Organization, Market Structure and Risk Taking: Theory and Evidence from U.S. Commercial Banks," NFI Working Papers 2011-WP-11, Indiana State University, Scott College of Business, Networks Financial Institute.
    12. Gerard T. Olson & Michael S. Pagano, 2005. "A New Application of Sustainable Growth: A Multi-Dimensional Framework for Evaluating the Long Run Performance of Bank Mergers," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9-10), pages 1995-2036.
    13. Prudence Serju, 2007. "Estimating Potential Output for Jamaica: a Structural VAR Approach," Money Affairs, CEMLA, vol. 0(1), pages 1-22, January-J.
    14. Gerard T. Olson & Michael S. Pagano, 2005. "A New Application of Sustainable Growth: A Multi‐Dimensional Framework for Evaluating the Long Run Performance of Bank Mergers," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9‐10), pages 1995-2036, November.
    15. Timothy H. Hannan & Steven J. Pilloff, 2005. "Will the Adoption of Basel II Encourage Increased Bank Merger Activity? Evidence from the United States," SUERF Studies, SUERF - The European Money and Finance Forum, number 2005/1 edited by Morten Balling, May.
    16. Gillian G. H. Garcia, 2009. "Sovereignty Versus Soundness: Cross‐Border/Interstate Banking In The European Union And In The United States: Similarities, Differences And Policy Issues," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 27(1), pages 109-129, January.
    17. repec:ris:msuecw:2018_006 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Erel, Isil, 2007. "The Effect of Bank Mergers on Loan Prices: Evidence from the U.S," Working Paper Series 2006-19, Ohio State University, Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics.
    19. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), 2002. "Report to the Congress on the Availablity of Credit to Small Businesses - September 2002," Reports and Studies 89207, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    20. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), 2002. "Report to the Congress on the Availability of Credit to Small Businesses, September 2002," Reports and Studies 4020, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    21. Lakdawala, Aeimit & Minetti, Raoul & Schaffer, Matthew, 2021. "Bank regulation and monetary policy transmission: Evidence from the U.S. States liberalization," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).

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    Keywords

    Bank mergers; Banking structure;

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