Exploring the impact of ICT diffusion in the European banking industry: Evidence in the pre-and post-COVID-19

Based on daily data from Thomson Reuter's Refnitiv, we investigate the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) on the profitability and risk of the European banking industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we empirically examine whether and how ICT diffusion affects banks' stock return, credit default swaps (CDS) spreads and market volatility over the period spanning from January 1, 2020, to March 31, 2020. Our evidence demonstrates that ICT improves banks' performance measures and reduces risks. These effects are more significant in the post-COVID-19 period.