- Big four banks
Big Four is the name given to the four biggest banks in a certain area:
* The Big Four commercial banks of the United Kingdom, HSBC Bank (formerly the Midland Bank),
Royal Bank of Scotland (which also acquired Nat West), Barclays andLloyds TSB . In 2001, they were joined byHBOS to make the Big Five. With the agreed 2008 acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB, they will revert to the Big Four.
** InEngland &Wales altogether. Since 1970 these have been:Lloyds Bank (which now forms part ofLloyds TSB );NatWest , (now a subsidiary ofRoyal Bank of Scotland );Barclays Bank ; andMidland Bank (now HSBC Bank).
** InNorthern Ireland ; these are:Ulster Bank (owned byRoyal Bank of Scotland ),Bank of Ireland ,Northern Bank (owned byDanske Bank ) andFirst Trust Bank (part ofAIB UK )
** InScotland ; these are traditionally:Bank of Scotland (now merged with Halifax to formHBOS and still operating as Bank of Scotland),Royal Bank of Scotland (now one of Europe's biggest banks),Clydesdale Bank (now owned byNational Australia Bank ) and the TSB, which now forms part of Lloyds TSB Scotland.
* In theRepublic of Ireland ; these are: AIB,Bank of Ireland ,National Irish Bank (owned byDanske Bank ) andUlster Bank (owned byRoyal Bank of Scotland )
* InAustralia ; these are: the National Australia Bank (NAB), theCommonwealth Bank ,Westpac and ANZ. The government policy to maintain this "status quo " is called thefour pillars policy .
*In Sweden; these are:Swedbank , merger between theSparbanken andFöreningsbanken in the late 1990's;Nordea , result of a pan-Nordic merger, SEB,Svenska Handelsbanken
* In China
** In thePeople's Republic of China ; these are: theBank of China , theChina Construction Bank , theIndustrial and Commercial Bank of China and theAgricultural Bank of China .
** Previously (before 1949), in theRepublic of China ; these were:Bank of China ,Bank of Communications ,Central Bank of China andFarmers Bank of China .
* InSouth Africa ; these are: the First National Bank , ABSA ,Standard Bank , andNedbank
* InVietnam ; these are (largest first): Agribank (Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development ),BIDV (Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam ),Vietcombank (Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam ), andVietinbank (Industrial and Commercial Bank of Vietnam ) [ [http://www.laodong.com.vn/Home/kinhte/doanhnghiep/2007/11/63228.laodong LAODONG.COM.VN | Ngân hàng BIDV được Finance Asia đưa vào top 100 ngân hàng của Châu Á - Ngan hang BIDV duoc Finance Asia dua vao top 100 ngan hang cua Chau A ] ] .
* InCanada ; these are:Toronto-Dominion Bank , Royal Bank,Scotiabank , Bank of Montreal, andCIBC .References
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