International Banking and Bank Performance: The Case of Poland

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine differences in the determinants of profitability between domestic and foreign banks in Poland during the global financial crisis and the eurozone debt crisis. Empirical results based on panel data sets containing both micro-level and macro-level data provided the evidence of differences in the determinants of performance between domestic and foreign banks, and also between foreign subsidiaries and foreign institutions’ branches, i.e. foreign currency loans were profitable mainly for foreign banks’ subsidiaries. Furthermore, this paper found a positive correlation between the context of parent banks and the profitability of their affiliates mainly during the global financial crisis.