Still in the tunnel: Most global banks yet to regain pre-crisis health

Are mergers and acquisitions around the corner?

A majority of global banks are yet to get back to their pre-crisis health levels. Not only has growth over the past decade been slower than in the same time-frame before the global financial crisis, but most banks have not regained their levels of profitability. More than 60 per cent of them still do not generate their cost of equity. Are mergers and acquisitions (M&As) around the corner?

According to the McKinsey Global Banking Annual Review 2019, with systemic risk in banking largely mitigated through capital and liquidity build-ups since the global financial crisis (and fragmented banking sectors in many markets struggling to produce returns), regulators are more likely to be supportive of  a consolidation. Then, the need for largescale investments in technological transformation, combined with weak organic growth,is pushing M&As up on the board agenda. 

Banks, however, should be careful as they assess these options, as very few deals have historically created value. Building capabilities in partnerships, joint ventures, and M&As are also essential to maximising their full potential.