Title: Small Italian popular banks for small and medium-sized enterprises: evaluations of their performance

Authors: Guido Migliaccio; Francesca Zerillo

Addresses: Department of Law, Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods, University of Sannio, Via delle Puglie, 82, Benevento (Bn), Italy ' Department of Law, Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods, University of Sannio, Via delle Puglie, 82, Benevento (Bn), Italy

Abstract: The study analyses the Italian cooperative banks that have maintained the cooperative form between 2013 and 2023, in a context characterised by the 2015 reform of the sector, the pandemic crisis and increasing digitisation. With statistical analysis (ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer), the dynamics of growth, profitability and capitalisation were examined and the territorial differences between the three macro-areas of the country (north, centre, south and islands). In particular, the trend of total assets, profit margin and Tier 1 ratio was studied. The results show a fair amount of capital resilience and some performance heterogeneity, with critical issues localised in some areas. However, cooperative banks are essential in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and diversifying the banking system. This has theoretical implications for prudential governance and practical implications for regulatory policies. Small cooperative banks can be a credible alternative to banking concentration, strengthening the economic and social cohesion of the territories.

Keywords: cooperative banks; financial performance; profitability analysis; Tier 1 ratio; ANOVA; Tukey-Kramer test; financial resilience; banking regulation; economic geography; digital banking.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2026.156156

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2026 Vol.59 No.2, pp.226 - 254

Received: 04 Jul 2025
Accepted: 27 Aug 2025
Published online: 07 Sep 2026 *

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