“…Previous studies identify factors which determine bank profi tability defi ning them as internal and external. One type of these studies is based on cross-country evidence (i.e., Claessens, Coleman, & Donnelly, 2018;Adelopo, Lloydking, & Tauringana, 2018;Menicucci & Paolucci, 2016;Bolt, de Haan, Hoeberichts, van Oordt, & Swank, 2012;Beckmann, 2007;Staikouras & Wood, 2004;Demirgüç-Kunt & Huizinga, 2016;1999), another large group of studies investigates bank profi tability in individual countries (i.e., Garcia & Guerreiro, 2016;Tan, 2016;Titko, Skvarciany, & Jurevičiene, 2015;Dietrich & Wanzenried, 2011).…”