Given the potential problems with these, however, several analysts said the company ought to be very cautious about acquiring banking assets in the region.

And the five largest American banks control only 19 percent, not 93 percent, of the nation's overall banking assets.

That brought total private banking assets under management at the end of September to 544.3 billion Swiss francs.

More than 80 percent of Mexico's banking assets are controlled by foreign banks, up from 18 percent in 1997.

The bank's goal is to double its Islamic banking assets, from $60 million to $120 million, in 2013.

Many banking assets are still poor quality or even toxic, whose prices will fall further as we move back into recession.

Yet foreign banks still account for less than 3% of Italian banking assets.

Despite the merger, the company will still control less than 1 percent of total American banking assets, the Fed said.

Cross-border banks hold up to 80% of Europe's banking assets.

The Canadian banking system is dominated by five or six large banks that together hold the majority of domestic banking assets.