Assignment:
The last decade has witnessed an unprecedented number of mega-mergers in the banking industry: Bank of America's acquisitions of Fleet Bank, MBNA, and U.S. Trust; Bank of New York's acquisition of Mellon Financial; and Wells Fargo's acquisition of Wachovia, to name several of the largest consolidations. Besides growth for its own sake, these superbanks are able to offer one-stop shopping for financial services: everything from savings accounts to home mortgages, investment account, insurance vehicles, and financial planning.
a. In the short run, what are the potential cost advantages of these mergers? Explain.
b. Is a $300 billion national bank likely to be more efficient than a $30 billion regional bank or a $3 billion state-based bank? What economic evidence is needed to determine whether there are long-run increasing returns to scale in banking?
c. Do you think these mergers are predicated on economies of scope?
Explain why the cost structure associated with many kinds of information goods and services might imply a market supplied by a small number of large firms. (At the same time, one internet business such as grocery home deliveries have continually suffered steep losses regardless of scale. Explain why.) Could lower transaction costs in e-commerce ever make it easier for small suppliers to compete? As noted in Chapter 3, network externalities are often an important aspect of demand for information goods and services. (The benefits to customers of using software, participating in electronic markets, or using instant messaging increase with the number of other users.) How might network externalities affect firm operating strategies (pricing, output, and advertising) and firm size?