International Position

Capital One has a good position in the Canadian and British markets. The international credit card business accounts for 11.3% of total revenue in the credit card operating segment (2009 Capital One Annual Report). Capital One does not have retail banking in Canada but does have it in the UK, although that part of the business is relatively minor. In credit cards, the UK business declined 14.6% in 2009 while the Canadian business increased 9.8%, reflecting the states of those two respective economies during the downturn.

Conclusions

The recent acquisitions by Capital One fit well within the company's strategy. Capital One has maintained its monoline focus on consumer lending with its expansion into retail banking. In addition, the company has expanded slowly, giving its management time to absorb the new banks and gain the knowledge and experience needed to increase the pace of such expansions in the future....
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