This paper introduces a comprehensive database on bank ownership for 137 countries over 1995-2009, and reviews foreign bank behavior and impact. It documents substantial increases in foreign bank presence, with many more home and host countries. Current market shares of foreign banks average 20...

Studying a large number of banks in various countries between 1999 and 2006, we document that foreign banks perform better when from a high income country, when host country competition is limited, and when they are large and rely more on deposits for funding. Foreign banks' performance improves...

Although cross-border bank lending has fallen sharply since the crisis, extending our bank ownershipdatabase from 1995-2009 up to 2013 shows only limited retrenchment in foreign bank presence. Whilebanks from OECD countries reduced their foreign presence (but still represent 89% of foreign bank...