Marketing strategies of offices of foreign banks in the changing US financial markets

US money and capital markets have changed dramatically over the past 25 years. Despite the change and uncertainty, lending activities of branches and agencies continued to expand in US markets through the early 1990s. The focus of lending by agencies and branches of foreign banks has been altered to accommodate their overall growth. The largest relative gain in loan activities of foreign banks has been in real estate and business loans. In addition, loans to other financial institutions have declined in relative terms. The change in lending activities is consistent with what has been termed a commercial‐industrial strategy, one of several unique marketing strategies that have been employed by major US banks.