Recent Developments in the Finnish Banking Sector

In this paper we discuss recent developments in the Finnish banking sector. Our specific aim is to examine whether and to what extent recent developments in Finland are broadly in line with the trends common to banking sectors in Europe and also worldwide. We focus on developments in banks’ profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and the market structure of the banking sector. In addition, technological developments are surveyed. As regards consolidation, the Finnish banking sector is a trendsetter. The emphasis in structural development has moved to cross-border banking and bankassurance. On the other hand, it turns out that it is difficult to track some of the trends that are believed to characterize European banking sectors using Finnish data. For instance, disintermediation has thus far been moderate in Finland, as the role of banks as providers of financing to households and companies is still significant and generally shows no signs of diminishing. Tougher competition in lending does not seem to have reduced Finnish banks’ profitability, which was at a record high in 1999 and in the first half of 2000. The Finnish banks have fully recovered from the banking crisis of the early 1990s. Improved profitability is largely due to enhanced efficiency as well as recent favourable economic performance. The banking sector has experienced a rapid process of consolidation during the 1990s and currently banks are in the middle of a period of intensive launching of new technology-based products. It can be argued that as a result of developments in the 1990s the Finnish banking sector is among the most profitable and efficient in Europe.banks; financial system; stability

Yliopistokatalyysi! : yliopiston yhteiskunnallisesta vuorovaikutuksesta ja vaikuttavuudesta

Ovatko yliopistot koskaan toimineet eristyksissä muusta yhteiskunnasta? Eivät. Onko yliopistojen piiristä käynnistynyt vallankumouksia ja yhteiskunnallisia muutoksia? Kyllä

Essays on Stock Exchange Competition and Pricing

This study deals with the industrial structure, the nature of competition and the pricing of stock exchange trading services in Europe. Specific for the study is that exchanges are considered to be profit-maximizing institutions that face competition. A conventional analysis of concentration ratios shows that the concentration of European stock exchanges is low. When the nature of competition is measured in more detail, regression results indicate that exchanges operate in monopolistic or perfect competition at the European level. Pricing of stock exchange matching services under network externalities is studied in a three-layered spatial model. The model presents a monopoly exchange and interaction between two brokers providing trading services to investors in an uncovered market. A case for investor-level network externalities is examined. Three different vertical industry structures were analyzed: no collusion, collusion between brokers, and vertically integrated industry. It was found that the vertically integrated structure results in the lowest fees and the highest demand as well as in the highest profits for brokers. Finally, the empirical determination of the optimal pricing of share trading services is studied. In particular, optimal price schedule is determined for the Helsinki stock exchange. The estimation results indicate that the market level demand for trading services is elastic. Moreover, the fee structure of Helsinki stock exchange is found to be multidimensional compared with other stock exchange

Recent Developments in the Finnish Banking Sector

In this paper we discuss recent developments in the Finnish banking sector.Our specific aim is to examine whether and to what extent recent developments in Finland are broadly in line with the trends common to banking sectors in Europe and also worldwide. We focus on developments in banks' profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and the market structure of the banking sector.In addition, technological developments are surveyed.As regards consolidation, the Finnish banking sector is a trendsetter.The emphasis in structural development has moved to cross-border banking and bankassurance.On the other hand, it turns out that it is quite hard to track some of the trends that are believed to characterize European banking sectors using Finnish data.For instance, disintermediation has thus far been moderate in Finland, as the role of banks as providers of financing to households and companies is still significant and generally shows no signs of diminishing.Tougher competition in lending does not seem to have reduced Finnish banks' profitability, which was at a record high in 1999 and in the first half of 2000. The Finnish banks have fully recovered from the banking crisis of the early 1990s.Improved profitability is largely due to enhanced efficiency as well as recent favourable economic performance.The banking sector has experienced a rapid process of consolidation during the 1990s and currently banks are in the middle of a period of intensive launching of new technology-based products.It can be argued that as a result of developments in the 1990s, the Finnish banking sector is among the most profitable and efficient in Europe