This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of business and financial specific regulations on banks in the EU-27 over the 2004–2010 period. We employ a dataset of a wide range of business regulation indices from the “Doing Business” project of the World Bank. Results for the...

This paper examines the exchange rate disconnect puzzle of Obstfeld and Rogoff (2000) from a behavioural perspective. It provides evidence on the existence of substantial asymmetries in the underlying loss preferences for the difference between the spot and forward nominal exchange rates between...

This paper reveals the underlying market’s preferences over the on going Euro area sovereign debt crisis. It builds on a loss function with reference to the ‘basis’, the difference between the spread over swap and Credit Default Swap (CDS) for sovereign bonds. This loss function is general...

The observed “soft” coordination at European and national level has hindered progress in terms of raising social welfare and reducing the risk of poverty in EU. This is a source of concern given that the fruits of economic efficiency should be shared by the individuals and Member States of...

This paper provides empirical evidence that sheds new light into the dynamic interactions between risk and efficiency, a highly debated issue in the literature. Using a large panel data set that includes 251 listed banks operating in the enlarged European Union over the period 1998 to 2006 this...

We employ a quadratic loss function using a forward-looking rational expectations model to estimate the dynamics of banking inefficiency scores in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) over the period 1998-2005. Results show that there is heterogeneity in the speed of adjustment to the long run...

This paper opts for the stochastic frontier methodology to investigate the impact of structural reforms on profit efficiency in the banking industry of four new European Union Member States over the period 1999-2003. Our findings suggest that reforms in the banking market are of vital importance...

This paper provides empirical evidence that sheds new light into the dynamic interactions between risk and efficiency, a highly debated issue. First, we estimate three alternative measures of bank performance, by employing a directional distance function framework, along with a cost frontier and...

We employ the stochastic frontier approach and estimate a common frontier in order to examine cost and profit efficiency in the banking systems of the ten new European Union member states over the period 1998-2003. The results indicate a generally low level of cost and an even lower level of...

This paper examines the relationship between operating performance and various bank, market and macro characteristics in the new, enlarged, European banking landscape over the period 1998-2005. We investigate whether there are differences between old and new European Union member states, across...