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Horizontal Mergers In A Differentiated Cournot Oligopoly

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Listed:
  • Judy Hsu
  • X. Henry Wang

Abstract

Using a standard differentiated goods quantity competition setting, we show three facts about horizontal two‐firm mergers that are not true for a homogeneous goods Cournot market. First, merger of two firms is profitable for the merging firms provided that goods are sufficiently distant substitutes. Second, merging of two firms can lead to more two‐firm mergers. Third, an initially non‐profitable two‐firm merger can occur in anticipation of subsequent mergers. These facts imply that mergers are more likely to occur in differentiated goods markets than in homogeneous goods markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Judy Hsu & X. Henry Wang, 2010. "Horizontal Mergers In A Differentiated Cournot Oligopoly," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(3), pages 305-314, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:buecrs:v:62:y:2010:i:3:p:305-314
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8586.2009.00329.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hamilton, Jonathan H. & Slutsky, Steven M., 1990. "Endogenous timing in duopoly games: Stackelberg or cournot equilibria," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 29-46, March.
    2. Nisvan Erkal & Daniel Piccinin, 2006. "Horizontal Mergers with Free Entry in Differentiated Oligopolies," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 976, The University of Melbourne.
    3. Gaudet, Gerard & Salant, Stephen W, 1991. "Increasing the Profits of a Subset of Firms in Oligopoly Models with Strategic Substitutes," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(3), pages 658-665, June.
    4. Steven Heubeck & Donald J. Smythe & Jingang Zhao, 2006. "A Note on the Welfare Effects of Horizontal Mergers in Asymmetric Linear Oligopolies," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 7(1), pages 29-47, May.
    5. Stephen W. Salant & Sheldon Switzer & Robert J. Reynolds, 1983. "Losses From Horizontal Merger: The Effects of an Exogenous Change in Industry Structure on Cournot-Nash Equilibrium," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(2), pages 185-199.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tsuyoshi Toshimitsu & Tetsuya Nakajima, 2018. "On the merger paradox and asymmetric product differentiation," Discussion Paper Series 173, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University, revised Feb 2018.
    2. Garcia, Arturo & Leal, Mariel & Lee, Sang-Ho & Park, Chul-Hi, 2024. "Merger incentive and strategic corporate social responsibility by a multiproduct corporation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 193-206.
    3. Roberto Cellini, 2021. "Whom should I merge with? How product substitutability affects merger profitability," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(3), pages 337-353, September.
    4. Neelanjan Sen & Drishti Narula, 2022. "Merger under horizontal and vertical product differentiation," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 18(4), pages 509-531, December.
    5. repec:lic:licosd:43022 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Gelves, J. Alejandro & Heywood, John S., 2016. "Pre-emptive mergers and downstream cost asymmetry," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 23-26.
    7. Tsuyoshi Toshimitsu & Tetsuya Nakajima, 2021. "On the “merger paradox” in price competition with asymmetric product differentiation," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 153-162, March.
    8. Dusanee Kesavayuth & Sang-Ho Lee & Vasileios Zikos, 2018. "Merger and Innovation Incentives in a Differentiated Industry," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 207-221, May.
    9. Neelanjan Sen & Uday Bhanu Sinha, 2023. "When to merge with a lower quality producer?," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 138(2), pages 165-188, March.

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