This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Pricing, Investments and Mergers with Intertemporal Capacity Constraints

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Christou, Charalambos
Kotseva, Rossitsa
Vettas, Nikolaos
Abstract

We set up a duopoly model with dynamic capacity constraints under demand uncertainty. We endogenize the investment decisions of the firms, examine their intertemporal pricing behavior, their incentives to merge, as well as the welfare implications of a merger. Whereas under known and constant demand the high capacity firm lets its low capacity rival sell out, under demand uncertainty we obtain a rich set of sales patterns. Each unit of available capacity has an option value (or opportunity cost), which depends on both firms' capacities, the current demand and the remaining horizon. This option value may be higher when the firms act non-cooperatively compared to the case when they merge to form a monopoly. Trade surplus may be higher when a merger takes place, as capacity is more efficiently managed over time. The prospect of a merger also leads to higher investment levels, as each firm wishes to appropriate a higher share of the total surplus. For some levels of the capacity instalment cost, a merger that turns the duopoly into a monopoly is welfare improving.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.cepr.org/pubs/dps/DP6433.asp
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: CEPR Discussion Papers are free to download for our researchers, subscribers and members. If you fall into one of these categories but have trouble downloading our papers, please contact us at subscribers@cepr.org

As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.

Publisher Info
Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number 6433.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Aug 2007
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6433

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Centre for Economic Policy Research, 53--56 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DG
Phone: 44 - 20 - 7183 8801
Fax: 44 - 20 - 7183 8820

Order Information:
Email:

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: ().

Related research
Keywords: capacity constraints; dynamic oligopoly; inventories; mergers; price competition;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure and Pricing - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Carl Davidson & Raymond Deneckere, 1986. "Long-Run Competition in Capacity, Short-Run Competition in Price, and the Cournot Model," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 17(3), pages 404-415, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Jean J. Gabszewicz & Sougata Poddar, 1997. "Demand fluctuations and capacity utilization under duopoly," Economic Theory, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 131-146. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Reynolds, Stanley S. & Wilson, Bart J., 2000. "Bertrand-Edgeworth Competition, Demand Uncertainty, and Asymmetric Outcomes," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 122-141, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Levin, Dan, 1990. "Horizontal Mergers: The 50-Percent Benchmark," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1238-45, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Garcia, Alfredo & Reitzes, James D & Stacchetti, Ennio, 2001. "Strategic Pricing when Electricity is Storable," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 223-47, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Steffen Huck & Kai A. Konrad & Wieland Müller, 2004. "Profitable Horizontal Mergers without Cost Advantages: The Role of Internal Organization, Information and Market Structure," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 71(284), pages 575-587, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. Mireia Jofre-Bonet & Martin Pesendorfer, 2003. "Estimation of a Dynamic Auction Game," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(5), pages 1443-1489, 09. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Allen, B. & Deneckere, R. & Faith, T. & Kovenock, D., 1994. "Capacity Precommitment as a Barrier to Entry: A Bertrand-Edgeworth Approach," Purdue University Economics Working Papers 1062, Purdue University, Department of Economics.
    Other versions:
  9. Biglaiser, Gary & Vettas, Nikolaos, 2004. "Dynamic Price Competition with Capacity Constraints and Strategic Buyers," CEPR Discussion Papers 4315, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Polasky, Stephen & Mason, Charles F., 1998. "On the welfare effects of mergers: Short run vs. long run," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 1-24. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Dasgupta, Partha & Maskin, Eric, 1986. "The Existence of Equilibrium in Discontinuous Economic Games, II: Applications," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(1), pages 27-41, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. de Frutos, Maria-Angeles & Fabra, Natalia, 2007. "Endogenous Capacities and Price Competition: The Role of Demand Uncertainty," CEPR Discussion Papers 6096, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Brock, William A & Scheinkman, Jose A, 1985. "Price Setting Supergames with Capacity Constraints," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(3), pages 371-82, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Osborne, Martin J. & Pitchik, Carolyn, 1986. "Price competition in a capacity-constrained duopoly," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 238-260, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  15. Benoit, Jean-Pierre & Krishna, Vijay, 1987. "Dynamic Duopoly: Prices and Quantities," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 54(1), pages 23-35, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Farrell, Joseph & Shapiro, Carl, 1990. "Horizontal Mergers: An Equilibrium Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(1), pages 107-26, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  17. Dudey, Marc, 1992. "Dynamic Edgeworth-Bertrand Competition," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 107(4), pages 1461-77, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Levitan, Richard & Shubik, Martin, 1972. "Price Duopoly and Capacity Constraints," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 13(1), pages 111-22, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  19. Raymond Deneckere & Carl Davidson, 1985. "Incentives to Form Coalitions with Bertrand Competition," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 16(4), pages 473-486, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Baik, Kyung Hwan, 1995. "Horizontal mergers of price-setting firms with sunk capacity costs," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 245-256. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. David M. Kreps & Jose A. Scheinkman, 1983. "Quantity Precommitment and Bertrand Competition Yield Cournot Outcomes," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 14(2), pages 326-337, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? A few items listed on IDEAS are over 2000 years old!

This page was last updated on 2009-11-25.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.