Market Concentration And Industry Profitability: The Case Of Greek Banking (1997-2004)

Abstract

An empirical investigation of the relationship between market concentration and performance in the Greek banking, this paper finds that market concentration has a weak effect on bank profitability. This finding could be attributed to the long tradition of the Greek governments to keep the financial institutions under immediate either in the form of state-owned institutions or indirectly through a complex and rigid regulations concerning interest rates, credit standards and credit rationing.