Trámites de graduación Abril 2025
Estimables estudiantes de la Escuela de Economía
This paper analyzes the evolution of the Lerner index for Costa Rican banks between 2008 and 2019. We document a significant drop in market power during this period, which we relate to less concentration in loans and deposits. The market became less consolidated as a fringe of 29 small banks gained market share at the expense of large and medium banks. We find that for individual banks, a greater market share of loans, and greater loan specialization are related to higher profitability, while a greater market share of deposits and greater size are related to lower profit margins.