World Banks Continue to Consolidate

According to data presented by McKinsey & Company and reported by Bloomberg.com, up to 20 percent of the world’s largest banks may be broken up or merge as part of a correction strategy to boost shareholder returns.  As banks refine their focus on products and regions, the number of global, universal banks may drop from 25 to less than 10.  In 2012, global banks earned an 8.6 percent return on equity, which was up from the previous year, but still below the 10-12 percent average.  Last year, U.S. banks earned an 8 percent average return, while European lenders received 2 percent, excluding the most indebted nations.  For more information on the pending consolidations, you can visit Bloomberg.com.