French retail banks are currently facing an increasing pressure on their business model, which requires a new approach to transformation; fortunately, they have many opportunities to reduce their costs in a context of income pressure that is likely to continue but pending on several initiatives from banks.
Today, French retail banks (together with their German counterparts) have the highest cost/income ratios (operating expenses as a percentage of NBI) in Europe. This is a fundamental trend since 2016, as banks of these two countries are the only ones in Europe to have seen their cost to continue to deteriorate, while players from other countries have seen their banks undertake major cost reduction projects to optimise their cost base.
Click here to read the full article.
Read the full article in French:
Les banques de détail françaises font aujourd’hui face à une pression croissante sur leur modèle économique qui nécessite une nouvelle approche de leur transformation ; heureusement elles disposent de nombreuses opportunités pour réduire leurs coûts dans un contexte de pression sur les revenus qui risque de perdurer.
The Spanish Banking Pulse Q4 2025
April 22, 2026
In this edition, we share results from our research examining 10 biggest Spanish banks (“top 10”) with regard to their activities within Spain and highlight key performance indicators of the Spanish banking industry.
The Mutual Holding Company Decision: Converting Structural Flexibility into Competitive Advantage
April 22, 2026
Mutual Holding Company (MHC) conversion has emerged as a credible strategic option, offering a way to address market headwinds without sacrificing mutual identity. However, structural change alone does not guarantee improved performance. Success depends on disciplined capital deployment, targeted technology and talent investment, and the governance capability to manage greater complexity.
Insurance agency compensation in focus
April 20, 2026
Agency distribution continues to be the main distribution channel for life insurance across Asia. However, traditional agency compensation models that rely heavily on large first-year commissions (FYC) are creating challenges such as low agent activation, weak customer persistency, and shrinking margins.
Alvarez & Marsal Releases FY 2025 KSA Banking Pulse
April 16, 2026
The latest edition of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Banking Pulse analyzes the FY 2025 performance of the kingdom’s ten largest listed banks. The year reflects resilience and rebalancing in the Saudi banking sector, with moderating credit growth alongside strong profitability, improved asset quality, and solid balance sheet strength, supported by a favorable macro-outlook and ongoing Vision 2030 momentum.