From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Big Four is the name given to the four biggest banks in a certain area.

Australia

In Australia, these are:

• National Australia Bank
• Commonwealth Bank
• Westpac
• Australia and New Zealand Banking Group

The government policy to maintain this status quo is called the four pillars policy.

Austria

In Austria, these are:

• Erste Bank
• Raiffeisen Zentralbank
• Bank Austria
• Volksbank

Belgium

In Belgium, these are:

• Dexia
• BNP Paribas Fortis (acquired by BNP Paribas, formerly called Fortis Bank)
• KBC Bank
• ING Group

Brazil

In Brazil, these are:

• Itaú Unibanco
• Banco do Brasil
• Bradesco
• Caixa Economica Federal

Canada

In Canada, these are: (though there is no such term as the 'big four' in Canada, but the 'Big Five'(including CIBC))

• Royal Bank of Canada
• Toronto-Dominion Bank
• Bank of Montreal
• ScotiaBank

China

People's Republic of China

These are:

• Bank of China
• China Construction Bank
• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
• Agricultural Bank of China

Republic of China (before 1949)

Previously (before 1949), in the Republic of China, these were:

• Bank of China
• Bank of Communications
• Central Bank of China
• Farmers Bank of China.

Northern China (1920s)

The Four Northern Banks (the four most capitalized commercial banks in Northern China of the Republic of China in the 1920s) were:

• Yien Yieh Commercial Bank
• Kincheng Banking Corporation
• Continental Bank
• China & South Sea Bank.

France

In France, these are:

• BNP Paribas (created on 23 May 2000 through the merger of Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) and Paribas)
• Crédit Agricole SA (created on 23 May 2000. It is a semi co-operative bank, being majority owned by 41 French Caisses Régionales de Crédit Agricole Mutuel. It acquired Crédit Lyonnais, founded in 1863, in 2003. The brand LCL replaced Crédit Lyonnais in 2005 in order to remove references to its recent history.)
• Société Générale (created on 4 May 1864)

India

• State Bank of India
• ICICI Bank
• Axis bank
• HDFC Bank

Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland, these are:

• Allied Irish Banks
• Bank of Ireland
• National Irish Bank (owned by Danske Bank)
• Ulster Bank (owned by Royal Bank of Scotland Group)

Italy

In Italy, these are:

• Unicredit
• Intesa Sanpaolo
• Monte dei Paschi di Siena
• Banco Popolare

Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, these are:

• AsiaUniversalBank
• Demir Kyrgyz Internation Bank
• Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank
• RSK Bank

New Zealand

In New Zealand, these are:

• Bank of New Zealand (owned by National Australia Bank)
• ASB Bank (owned by Commonwealth Bank)
• Westpac
• ANZ National Bank

Philippines

In Philippines, these are:

• Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company
• Bank of the Philippine Islands, the oldest bank in the Philippines
• Banco de Oro
• Philippine National Bank

South Africa

In South Africa, these are:

• First National Bank
• Absa Group Limited (owned by Barclays Bank)
• Standard Bank
• Nedbank

South Korea

In South Korea, these banks are often called Big Four since 2005. Except Kookmin, other three banks have acquired so-called former Chosangjehanseo banks.

• Hana Bank (acquires Seoul Bank)
• Kookmin Bank
• Shinhan Bank (acquires Chohung Bank)
• Woori Bank (merger of Commercial Bank of Korea and Hanil Bank)

Sweden

In Sweden, these are:

• Swedbank (created by a merger between Sparbanken and Föreningsbanken)
• Nordea (the result of a pan-Nordic merger)
• Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB)
• Handelsbanken

United Kingdom

The Big Four commercial banks of the United Kingdom are:

• HSBC Bank
• Royal Bank of Scotland Group
• Lloyds Banking Group
• Barclays

England and Wales

• Lloyds TSB (which now forms part of Lloyds Banking Group)
• National Westminster Bank (now owned by Royal Bank of Scotland Group)
• Barclays Bank
• HSBC Bank

Northern Ireland

These are:

• Ulster Bank (owned by Royal Bank of Scotland)
• Bank of Ireland
• Northern Bank (owned by Danske Bank)
• First Trust Bank (part of AIB UK)

Scotland

These are traditionally:

• Bank of Scotland (part of Lloyds Banking Group)
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• Clydesdale Bank (now owned by National Australia Bank)
• Lloyds TSB Scotland, formerly known as TSB (also part of Lloyds Banking Group)

United States

In the United States, the "big four" banks hold 39 percent of all U.S. customer deposits (as of 2009), and consist of:^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}

• Bank of America
• Citigroup
• JPMorgan Chase
• Wells Fargo

References