We estimate the degree of competition in the banking sectors of 148 countries over the period 1997–2010 using three methods: the Lerner index, the adjusted Lerner index, and the profit elasticity. Marginal cost estimates required for all methods are obtained using a flexible semi‐parametric methodology. All three indices show that competitive conditions in banking deteriorated during the period 1997–2006, improved until 2008, and deteriorated again thereafter. Levels of competition differ across regions and income groups, but there is gradual convergence over time. Banking system is less competitive in sub‐Saharan Africa and low income countries and more competitive in Europe and Central and South Asia and OECD countries.

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Does market power of banks affect firm performance? To answer this question we examine 25,236 syndicated loan facilities granted between 2000 and 2010 by 296 banks to 9,029 US non-financial firms. Accounting for both observed and unobserved bank and firm heterogeneity, we find that firms that were recently poorly performing obtain loans from banks with more market power. However, in the year after loan origination market power positively affects firm performance, but only if it is not too high. Our estimates thus suggest that bank market power can facilitate access to credit by poorly-performing firms, yet at the same time also boosts the performance of the firms that obtain credit.

Ownership and competition in the banking sector are policy concerns around the world that are rarely comprehensively examined. For 131 countries and 13 years we match bank ownership with over 50,000 bank-year estimates of individual bank market power. At the individual bank level, ownership does not explain market power. At the country level, on the other hand, foreign bank ownership has a positive and significant impact on bank market power because foreign banks enter through mergers or acquisitions and not through greenfield investments. We also find that the positive effect of foreign bank presence on market power is considerably weaker in countries with well-capitalized banks.

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