The Big Four is the colloquial name for the four main banks in several countries, where the banking industry is dominated by just four institutions and where the phrase has gained currency.
International Use
Internationally, the term "Big Four Banks" has traditionally referred to the following central banks:
- The US Federal Reserve
- The European Central Bank
- The Bank of Japan
- The Bank of England
Recently, however, many analysts have argued that the
- The People's Bank of China
has begun to rival the Bank of England in terms of influence.
Australia/New Zealand
In Australia, the "big four banks" refers to the four largest banks by market share, who between them hold 80% of the home loan markets in the country. In 2012, their combined total asset is A$2.66 trillion, which is about 200% of Australian GDP in 2011. In order of size, these are:
- Commonwealth Bank (CBA) (government owned until 1996)
- Westpac
- Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, or ANZ
- National Australia Bank
A longstanding policy of the federal government in Australia has been to maintain this status quo, called the "four pillars policy". The policy has been maintained through the Global Recession of 2008-09, as Westpac acquired St.George Bank and the Commonwealth Bank acquired Bankwest, reinforcing the special status of the "big four".
Being New Zealand's closest neighbour, with very close ties culturally and economically, has helped Australia dominate the banking sector there. Often referred to collectively as the 'big banks' or the 'big Aussie banks', the "Big Four" Australian banks also dominate the New Zealand banking sector in the form of:
- Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, or ANZ, also comprising the former business of The National Bank.
- ASB Bank, formerly Auckland Savings Bank, wholly owned by the Commonwealth Bank
- The Bank of New Zealand (BNZ), wholly owned by the National Australia Bank
- Westpac, formerly known as WestpacTrust after a merger with the Trust Bank.
Together they hold over 90% of gross loans and advances in New Zealand as well as close to 90% of all mortgages.
These four subsidiaries are massively profitable and in some cases even outperform the Australian parent company. The extent to which they dominate the banking sector can be seen in profits: In the 2012/2013 financial year, the largest of the Big Banks, ANZ New Zealand, made a profit of NZ$1.37 billion. The smallest, BNZ, made a profit of NZ$695 million. State-owned Kiwibank, community trust-owned TSB Bank, SBS Bank (formerly Southland Building Society) and Heartland Bank, the next four largest banks by profit, made NZ$97 million, NZ$73.5 million, NZ$14 million and NZ$7 million (albeit with an underlying result of about NZ$30 million) respectively. In other words, the profit of New Zealand's next four largest banks (after the Big Four) is equal to less than 30% of the smallest of the Big Four, BNZ.
China
During the 1920s, the term "Big Four" applied to the Four Northern Banks of the Republic of China (i.e. the four most capitalized commercial banks in Northern China). These were the Yien Yieh Commercial Bank, the Kincheng Banking Corporation, the Continental Bank and The China & South Sea Bank. These were contrasted with the Three Southern Banks of Southern China.
By 1949, the Big Four banks were the Bank of China, the Bank of Communications, the Central Bank of China and the Farmers Bank of China. All four were state-owned banks. These four, together with Central Trust of China, Postal Savings and Remittance Bureau of China, Central Cooperative Treasury of China, were called the "Four Banks, Two Bureaus, One Treasury" or "??????".
Currently, in the People's Republic of China, the Big Four commercial banks ("??????") are:
- Bank of China
- China Construction Bank
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
- Agricultural Bank of China
and have been described as such in the western press. All four are state-controlled banks with commercial banking operations.
India
In India, the "big four" consists of
- State Bank of India
- ICICI Bank
- Punjab National Bank
- Bank of Baroda
Ireland
In Ireland, the term "big four" applies to the four largest banks by market capitalisation. These all operate in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and have a wider international presence.
- Bank of Ireland
- Allied Irish Banks (operates as First Trust Bank in Northern Ireland
- Danske Bank (also operates as Danske Bank in Northern Ireland) - Irish Branch of Danske Bank A/S since 2007.
- Ulster Bank - Subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group since 2000/2001.
Ever since Danske Bank has phased out its personal banking services, it has been suggested that either KBC Ireland or Permanent TSB could replace, in the medium-term, Danske Bank in the "Big Four" ranking.
Japan
In Japan, the "big four" are:
- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group
- Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group
- Mizuho Financial Group
- Japan Post Bank
South Africa
In South Africa, the "big four" are:
- Standard Bank (Not related to Standard Chartered Bank)
- FirstRand Bank (operators of First National Bank)
- Nedbank - owned by Old Mutual.
- Barclays Africa Group Limited trading as ABSA (also capitalised as Absa)- majority owned by Barclays since 2005; remainder owned by the public.
Spain
In Spain, the "big four" are:
- Bankia (Bank of Madrid and Valencia)
- BBVA (Bank of Bilbao and Biscay)
- Caixabank (Bank of Barcelona and Catalonia)
- Santander
Sweden
In Sweden, the "big four" are:
- Nordea Bank AB
- Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB
- Svenska Handelsbanken AB
- Swedbank AB
United Kingdom
In relation to the United Kingdom, the phrase "big four banks" is currently used to refer to the four largest UK-based banking groups, being:
- Barclays;
- HSBC;
- Lloyds Banking Group; and
- The Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
Until 1970, the phrase "big five banks" was used to refer to the five largest UK clearing banks (institutions which clear bankers' cheques), which in England and Wales were:
- Barclays Bank (now part of Barclays);
- Midland Bank (now HSBC Bank and part of HSBC);
- Lloyds Bank (now part of Lloyds Banking Group);
- National Provincial Bank and
- Westminster Bank
After the merger of Westminster Bank and National Provincial Bank to form NatWest (now part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group) in 1970, the term "big four" was used.
In Scotland the "big four" were:
- The Royal Bank of Scotland ("RBS") (part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group);
- Bank of Scotland (part of Lloyds Banking Group);
- Clydesdale Bank (part of National Australia Group); and
- Trustee Savings Bank ("TSB") (now part of TSB Banking Group ).
United States
In the United States, the "big four" banks hold 39% of all U.S. customer deposits (as of 2009), and consist of:
- JPMorgan Chase (headquartered in New York City, NY, bank chartered in Columbus, OH)
- Bank of America (headquartered and bank chartered in Charlotte, NC)
- Citigroup (headquartered in New York City, NY, bank chartered in Sioux Falls, SD)
- Wells Fargo (headquartered in San Francisco, CA, bank chartered in Sioux Falls, SD)
From a retail banking perspective, U.S. Bancorp (headquarters in Minneapolis, MN/bank charter Cincinnati, OH) and PNC Financial Services (headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA/bank charter Wilmington, DE) both have significantly more branches than Citibank, the retail banking arm of Citigroup. However, Citibank still has significantly more assets than U.S. Bancorp and PNC.
Canada
- Big Five banks in Canada
References
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