Banks with market shares above 5% held nearly 65.5% of total assets, at the beginning of 2012, and nearly 66.4% at the end of September 2014. The concentration is higher than the level registered at the end of 2008, when the financial crisis broke out, and the banks with market shares above 5% held 65% of total assets.
During the analyzed period, Romania’s largest bank, Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), saw its market share shrink by nearly 4 percentage points, from 20.35% to 16.61%, while the market share of BRD, the country’s second-largest bank, fell by less than one percentage point, from 13.14% to 12.39%.
Romania’s third-largest bank, Banca Tranilvania (TLV) boosted its market share from 7.2% to 9.7%, witnessing the largest organic growth in the banking system. The growth rate was mainly fueled by investments in state treasuries which total nearly RON10 billion, up 65% from the end of 2011. At the same time, loan balance rose 25%, to RON17.5 billion.
Raiffeisen Bank comes fourth, with a 7.48% market share, compared to 6.46% early 2012, and is followed by CEC Bank whose market share inched up from 7.08% to 7.28%.
ING Bank Amsterdam Sucursala Bucuresti, with a 5.73% market share, higher than 4.52% in January 2012 and 5% at the end of 2013, places last among banks with market shares above 5%.
Banks with market shares between 1% and 5% held 27.93% of total assets at the beginning of 2012, and 25.59% in September 2014. The ranking includes Alpha Bank, with a 4.68% market share, higher than 4.51% in 2012, which is followed by Volksbank (3.62%), Bancpost (3.35% – flat against 2012), Piraeus (2.59% from 2.2%), Citibank Europe Sucursala Romania (2.2% from 1.67%), Garanti Bank (2.08% from 1.75%), Banca Romanească (1.91% from 1.98%), Credit Europe (1.3% from 1.41%) OTP Bank (1.29% from 1.1%) and Veneto Banca (1.29% from 1.195).