This paper assesses the impact of the ownership structure of banks and shareholder protection laws on
bank valuations while controlling for differences in bank regulations. Except in a few countries with very
strong shareholder protection laws, banks are not widely held. Rather, families or the State control banks.
Furthermore, (i) larger cash-flow rights by the controlling owner boost valuations, (ii) stronger shareholder
protection laws increase valuations, and (iii) greater cash-flow rights mitigate the adverse effects of weak
shareholder protection laws on valuations. These results suggest that ownership structure is an important
mechanism for governing banks.