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The Effect of Mergers in Search Market: Evidence from the Canadian Mortgage Industry

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  • Jason Allen
  • Robert Clark
  • Jean-François Houde

Abstract

We examine the relationship between concentration and price dispersion using variation induced by a merger in the Canadian mortgage market. Since interest rates are determined through a search and negotiation process, consolidation eliminates a potential negotiation part- ner, weakening consumers bargaining positions. We combine reduced-form techniques to es- timate the mergers distributional impact, with a structural model to measure market power across consumers with different search costs. Our results show that competition benefits only consumers at the bottom and middle of the transaction price distribution. Estimates from a search and negotiation model attribute these differences to the presence of large search frictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jason Allen & Robert Clark & Jean-François Houde, 2013. "The Effect of Mergers in Search Market: Evidence from the Canadian Mortgage Industry," NBER Working Papers 19126, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:19126
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • L85 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Real Estate Services

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