Factors influencing the profitability of domestic and foreign commercial banks in the European Union

Using bank level data this paper examines how bank’s specific characteristics and the overall banking environment affect the profitability of commercial domestic and foreign banks operating in the 15 EU countries over the period 1995–2001. The results indicate that profitability of both domestic and foreign banks is affected not only by bank’s specific characteristics but also by financial market structure and macroeconomic conditions. All the variables, with the exception of concentration in the case of domestic banks profits, are significant although their impact and relation with profits is not always the same for domestic and foreign banks. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: G21; C23