Abstract

This study examines the cost efficiency of the banking industry in Canada. Utilizing 12 years of data (i.e., 2006 to 2017), and a two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA), it provides insight on the determinants of the industry’s cost efficiency. It finds that the industry is cost inefficient, and that it could reduce costs by 11.52 percent. The cost inefficiency is due to technical and allocative inefficiencies, with technical inefficiency playing a dominant role. The technical efficiency decomposition shows that pure technical efficiency improved, but the scale efficiency deteriorated. The analysis of the determinants of cost efficiency reveals that deposit conversion into loans, high capitalization, and managerial tolerance for increase in administrative expense drive cost efficiency. On the other hand, market power and diversification diminish cost efficiency. In addition, the impact of profitability and credit risk are inconsequential to cost efficiency. This study contributes to literature by providing insights unique to Canada. Managers in the industry, policy makers, and regulators can point to these findings as empirical evidence supporting measures aimed at increasing the industry’s competitiveness and resilience.

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