Introduction: Bank concentration and competition: an evolution in the making

The consolidation of banks around the world in recent years is intensifying public policy debates on the influences of concentration and competition on the performance of banks. In light of these developments, this paper first reviews the existing literature on the impact of bank concentration and competition. Second, the paper summarizes the main findings of the papers in this special issue of the JMCB within the context of this active literature. Finally, the paper suggests some directions for future research.