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Crude oil and gasoline prices: an asymmetric relationship?

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Abstract

Gasoline is the petroleum product whose price is most visible and, therefore, always under public scrutiny. Many claim there is an asymmetric relationship between gasoline and oil prices - specifically, gasoline price changes follow oil price changes more quickly when oil prices are rising than when they are falling. To explore this issue, Nathan Balke, Stephen Brown and Mine Yucel use several different model specifications to analyze the relationship between oil prices and the spot, wholesale, and retail prices of gasoline. They find asymmetry is sensitive to model specification but is pervasive with the most general model.

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  • Nathan S. Balke & Stephen P. A. Brown & Mine K. Yücel, 1998. "Crude oil and gasoline prices: an asymmetric relationship?," Economic and Financial Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, issue Q 1, pages 2-11.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedder:y:1998:i:q1:p:2-11
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