IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/revind/v58y2021i2d10.1007_s11151-020-09747-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is the Whole Greater than the Sum of Its Parts? Pricing Pressure Indices for Mergers of Vertically Integrated Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Trost

    (University of Hohenheim)

Abstract

The paper analyzes gross upward pricing pressure indices— $$\texttt {iGUPPI}$$ iGUPPI —to assess the anti-competitive effects of mergers between vertically integrated firms where independent rivals are active in the downstream market. Such indices could be used, for example, to screen mergers between mobile network operators that compete with mobile virtual network operators in the downstream retail market. It is shown that the $$\texttt {iGUPPI}$$ iGUPPI for the downstream divisions of the merging firms corresponds to the sum of two well-known upward pricing pressure indices: the $$\texttt {GUPPI}$$ GUPPI concept of Salop and Moresi (Georget Law J, 2009), and the $$\texttt {vGUPPI}$$ vGUPPI concept of Moresi and Salop (Antitrust Law J 79(1):185–214, 2013). However, this simple decomposition does not hold for their upstream divisions a priori. Here, additional effects that are not included in the two concepts arise. Further assumptions with respect to the price reactions of the downstream divisions to increases in the input prices are imposed so that the $$\texttt {iGUPPI}$$ iGUPPI for the upstream divisions is decomposable into an upstream market version of the $$\texttt {GUPPI}$$ GUPPI and the $$\texttt {vGUPPI}$$ vGUPPI .

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Trost, 2021. "Is the Whole Greater than the Sum of Its Parts? Pricing Pressure Indices for Mergers of Vertically Integrated Firms," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 58(2), pages 235-262, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:58:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s11151-020-09747-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11151-020-09747-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11151-020-09747-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11151-020-09747-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Baltzopoulos, Apostolos & Kim, Jaewon & Mandorff, Martin, 2015. "UPP Analysis in Five Recent Merger Cases," Konkurrensverket Working Paper Series in Law and Economics 2015:3, Konkurrensverket (Swedish Competition Authority).
    2. Neurohr, Bertram, 2016. "Upward pricing pressure under capacity constraints, kinked demand and other cases of a constrained pre-merger equilibrium," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 49-51.
    3. Andreea Cosnita-Langlais & Bjørn Olav Johansen & Lars Sorgard, 2018. "Upward Price Pressure in Two-Sided Markets: Incorporating Feedback Effects," EconomiX Working Papers 2018-3, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    4. Jean-Charles Rochet & Jean Tirole, 2003. "Platform Competition in Two-Sided Markets," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 1(4), pages 990-1029, June.
    5. Werden, Gregory J, 1996. "A Robust Test for Consumer Welfare Enhancing Mergers among Sellers of Differentiated Products," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(4), pages 409-413, December.
    6. Cosnita-Langlais, Andreea & Johansen, Bjørn Olav & Sørgard, Lars, 2021. "Upward pricing pressure in two-sided markets: Incorporating rebalancing effects," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Hausman, Jerry & Moresi, Serge & Rainey, Mark, 2011. "Unilateral effects of mergers with general linear demand," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 111(2), pages 119-121, May.
    8. Sonia Jaffe & E. Glen Weyl, 2013. "The First-Order Approach to Merger Analysis," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(4), pages 188-218, November.
    9. Farrell Joseph & Shapiro Carl, 2010. "Antitrust Evaluation of Horizontal Mergers: An Economic Alternative to Market Definition," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-41, March.
    10. Affeldt, P. & Filistrucchi, L. & Klein, T.J., 2012. "Upward Pricing Pressure in Two-Sided Markets," Other publications TiSEM cba5b630-5daa-4233-8234-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    11. Mas-Colell, Andreu & Whinston, Michael D. & Green, Jerry R., 1995. "Microeconomic Theory," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195102680.
    12. Robert Willig, 2011. "Unilateral Competitive Effects of Mergers: Upward Pricing Pressure, Product Quality, and Other Extensions," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 39(1), pages 19-38, August.
    13. Affeldt, P. & Filistrucchi, L. & Klein, T.J., 2012. "Upward Pricing Pressure in Two-Sided Markets," Other publications TiSEM dc061598-811f-444e-ae5b-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    14. Pauline Affeldt & Lapo Filistrucchi & Tobias J. Klein, 2013. "Upward Pricing Pressure in Two‐sided Markets," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 123(11), pages 505-523, November.
    15. Magne K. Asphjell & Harald N. Bergh & Tyra Merker & Jostein Skaar, 2017. "Unilateral Effects of Horizontal Mergers with Vertical Relations Between Firms and Other Structural Market Changes," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 51(3), pages 381-394, November.
    16. Affeldt, P. & Filistrucchi, L. & Klein, T.J., 2013. "Upward pricing pressure in two-sided markets," Other publications TiSEM a4802977-56e0-4de3-af34-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Trost, Michael, 2018. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: Pricing pressure indices for mergers of vertically integrated firms," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 06-2018, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    2. Cosnita-Langlais, Andreea & Johansen, Bjørn Olav & Sørgard, Lars, 2021. "Upward pricing pressure in two-sided markets: Incorporating rebalancing effects," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Baranes, Edmond & Cortade, Thomas & Cosnita-Langlais, Andreea, 2019. "Horizontal mergers on platform markets: cost savings v. cross-group network effects?," MPRA Paper 97459, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Andreea Cosnita-Langlais & Bjørn Olav Johansen & Lars Sorgard, 2018. "Upward Price Pressure in Two-Sided Markets: Incorporating Feedback Effects," EconomiX Working Papers 2018-3, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    5. Tommaso Valletti & Hans Zenger, 2021. "Mergers with Differentiated Products: Where Do We Stand?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 58(1), pages 179-212, February.
    6. Patrick Cayseele & Stijn Vanormelingen, 2019. "Merger Analysis in Two-Sided Markets: The Belgian Newspaper Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 54(3), pages 509-541, May.
    7. Harald Nygård Bergh & Arne Rogde Gramstad & Jostein Skaar, 2020. "Unilateral Price Effects and Vertical Relations Between Merging and Non-merging Firms," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 57(1), pages 131-143, August.
    8. David S. Evans & Richard Schmalensee, 2013. "The Antitrust Analysis of Multi-Sided Platform Businesses," NBER Working Papers 18783, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Lapo Filistrucchi & Tobias J. Klein, 2013. "Price Competition in Two-Sided Markets with Heterogeneous Consumers and Network Effects," Working Papers 13-20, NET Institute.
    10. Valentiny, Pál, 2019. "Közgazdaságtan a jogalkalmazásban [Forensic economics]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(2), pages 134-162.
    11. Volodymyr Bilotkach & Nicholas G. Rupp & Vivek Pai, 2013. "Value of a Platform to a Seller: Case of American Airlines and Online Travel Agencies," Working Papers 13-08, NET Institute.
    12. Heiko Karle & Martin Peitz & Markus Reisinger, 2020. "Segmentation versus Agglomeration: Competition between Platforms with Competitive Sellers," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(6), pages 2329-2374.
    13. Filistrucchi, L. & Geradin, D.A.A.G. & van Damme, E.E.C., 2012. "Identifying Two-Sided Markets," Other publications TiSEM d69d2808-d3eb-46ea-a6ac-c, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    14. Jullien, Bruno & Sand-Zantman, Wilfried, 2021. "The Economics of Platforms: A Theory Guide for Competition Policy," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    15. Behringer, S. & Filistrucchi, L., 2014. "Areeda-Turner in Two-Sided Markets," Other publications TiSEM 86efd9ae-a8f9-44c9-9942-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    16. Akihiro NAKAMURA & Takanori IDA, 2021. "Delineating zero-price markets with network effects:An analysis of free messenger services," Discussion papers e-21-002, Graduate School of Economics , Kyoto University.
    17. Rickert, Dennis & Wey, Christian & Haucap, Justus & Heimeshoff, Ulrich & Klein, Gordon J., 2013. "Inter-Format Competition among Retailers - The Role of Private Label Products in Market Delineation," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79797, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    18. Stefan Behringer & Lapo Filistrucchi, 2015. "Areeda–Turner in Two-Sided Markets," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 46(3), pages 287-306, May.
    19. Budzinski, Oliver, 2017. "Wettbewerbsregeln für das Digitale Zeitalter - Die Ökonomik personalisierter Daten, Verbraucherschutz und die 9. GWB-Novelle," Ilmenau Economics Discussion Papers 108, Ilmenau University of Technology, Institute of Economics.
    20. Filistrucchi, L. & Geradin, D.A.A.G. & van Damme, E.E.C., 2012. "Identifying Two-Sided Markets," Discussion Paper 2012-008, Tilburg University, Tilburg Law and Economic Center.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pricing pressure indices; Vertically integrated firms; Mergers; UPP; GUPPI; vGUPPI;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • L42 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Vertical Restraints; Resale Price Maintenance; Quantity Discounts

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:58:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s11151-020-09747-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.