Mergers and Acquisitions in the Banking Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have developed into a powerful strategic tool for consolidating banks to boost their capital bases, grow their businesses and bring about financial stability. Since the 1990s, the number of M&As has dramatically increased around the globe. This study attempts to provide a systematic review of recent M&A literature that has examined the different themes of M&As and their impact on the performance of the banking sector with an emphasis on 2013–2023. The objective of the study is to identify the important research gaps and provide direction for future research. Thus, it shows the past and recent status of M&A literature worldwide. The review has identified different themes of M&As, which include financial and operating performance, integration of technology, geographic strategies, corporate governance, cross-border M&As, size of banks, shareholders’ return, risk and loan quality, expertize and ownership. The findings indicate that research on M&As from the financial and operating performance perspective provides inconclusive results. Recently, research on cross-border M&As and integration of technology has been increasing as it provides a competitive edge to the acquirer. Results also suggest that the market considers the merger news positively for target banks, and geographic diversification and hiring financial experts in M&As improve the performance of the banks.