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Pump Prices and Oil Prices: A Tale of Two Directions

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  • Nodir Adilov
  • Hedayeh Samavati

Abstract

It has been argued that retail gasoline prices adjust more quickly to crude oil price increases than to price decreases. We investigate this issue using the statewide data on weekly retail gasoline prices in the United States between January 2000 and June 2007. Our analysis does not confirm the prediction that gasoline prices adjust more quickly to price increases in crude oil prices. On the contrary, the results suggest that in some geographic areas gasoline prices could change faster when crude oil prices decrease. These findings suggest that a national or a one size fits all energy policy for the United States may be misguided. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2009

Suggested Citation

  • Nodir Adilov & Hedayeh Samavati, 2009. "Pump Prices and Oil Prices: A Tale of Two Directions," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 37(1), pages 51-64, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:atlecj:v:37:y:2009:i:1:p:51-64
    DOI: 10.1007/s11293-008-9152-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Radchenko, Stanislav, 2005. "Oil price volatility and the asymmetric response of gasoline prices to oil price increases and decreases," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 708-730, September.
    9. Asplund, Marcus & Eriksson, Rickard & Friberg, Richard, 2000. " Price Adjustments by a Gasoline Retail Chain," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 102(1), pages 101-121, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Holmes, Mark J. & Otero, Jesús & Panagiotidis, Theodore, 2013. "On the dynamics of gasoline market integration in the United States: Evidence from a pair-wise approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 503-510.
    2. Robert Socha, 2014. "Asymetria relacji cen paliw płynnych w Polsce i cen ropy naftowej," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 5, pages 133-160.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gasoline markets; Price adjustment; Price response; Crude oil prices; D00; D21; L10; L60;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D00 - Microeconomics - - General - - - General
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General

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