Analysis of banking trends often focuses on specific industry subgroups. The analyst tracks the performance or characteristics of an industry subgroup over time, and the results, if compelling, can serve as input to policy decisions. An important component of analyzing industry subgroups is a procedure called merger adjustment. This article describes how and when FDIC analysts use merger adjustment when analyzing the banking industry. It discusses when to merger adjust and when not to merger adjust and offers guidance for interpreting the results.
Last Updated: November 19, 2025