We model two dimensions of bank globalization-bank nationality (a bank from the firm's host nation, its home nation, or a third nation) and bank reach (a global, regional, or local bank) using a two-stage nested multinomial logit model. Our data set includes over 2,000 foreign affiliates of multinational corporations operating in 20 European nations. We find that these firms frequently use host nation banks for cash management services, and that bank reach may be strongly influenced by this choice of bank nationality. Our results suggest limits to the degree of future bank globalization.

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We model two dimensions of bank globalization-bank nationality (a bank from the firm's host nation, its home nation, or a third nation) and bank reach (a global, regional, or local bank) using a two-stage nested multinomial logit model. Our data set includes over 2,000 foreign affiliates of multinational corporations operating in 20 European nations. We find that these firms frequently use host nation banks for cash management services, and that bank reach may be strongly influenced by this choice of bank nationality. Our results suggest limits to the degree of future bank globalization.

This paper provides new evidence on the effect of bank competition on the cost of lending, in an environment of reduced information asymmetries between firms and banks. We construct a simple model linking the number of bank relationships, the cost of lending and bank competition. Banks are exposed to more competition if the firm has many ongoing bank relationships that improve her threat point when negotiating borrowing costs. Moreover, increased competition in the banking sector might mitigate (substitute) or amplify (complement) this effect. Using a unique data set from Portugal, we find that when a firm borrows from one additional bank, the interest rate on bank loans for this firm becomes 9 to 20 basis points lower on average. In addition, we find that when local bank competition is more intense firms can benefit more from simultaneously engaging in several banking relationships, hence providing evidence of complementarity between competition and the number of bank relationships. However, we do not observe these effects for the smallest and youngest firms.JEL Codes: G21, G32