The price of bank mergers in the 1990s

Abstract

This article examines the primary motivations for the massive wave of bank mergers in the U.S. during the 1990s by analyzing the prices paid for target banks. The authors find that these prices reflect both general market and firm-specific characteristics. For example, the lifting of regulatory restrictions on geographic markets for bank mergers has a significant impact on the average price paid. Additionally, more profitable target banks tend to command a significantly higher market price.Bank mergers