Una función de costos para la industria bancaria

Abstract

In this paper we use a translog function to study the operating costs of the banking industry, taking the subset of private banks in Argentina. A measure of aggregate product that is broader than the measures used before is constructed, which is akin to the gross value of production in the national accounts. Building on earlier studies, economies of scales are decomposed into various dimensions: size of operations, utilization level and number of plants. The influence of geographic location is also analyzed, relating it to differences in the price of inputs.