Local Market Structure and Bank Competition: evidence from the Brazilian auto loan market

Posted by D. Daniel Sokol

Bruno Martins (Central Bank of Brazil) explores Local Market Structure and Bank Competition: evidence from the Brazilian auto loan market

ABSTRACT: Asymmetric information and transportation costs incurred by borrowers may raise spatial price discrimination in bank lending. This paper exploits the large geographic dispersion in the market structure of the Brazilian banking sector to investigate the relationship between market concentration and bank competition. Local markets are also distinguished by the degree of barrier to entry in order to assess its effect on bank competitive behavior. The findings indicate a negative correlation between market concentration and bank competition and an even stronger effect in locations where the barriers to entry are higher. The paper also highlights the importance of evaluating the geographic impact of mergers and acquisitions for the analysis of the effect of market concentration on bank competition.