Besides the work by consulting firms cited in the text, publications on banking subjects on the websites of Mercer Oliver Wyman and Boston Consulting Group also proved useful.

ECONOMIST: Sources and acknowledgements

According to a recent study by Mercer Oliver Wyman, a consulting group, and Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, cross-border mergers can work if the buyer brings more sophisticated information-technology and risk management to the target.

ECONOMIST: European banks