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A Model of Greedflation

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Scanlon

    (Department of Economics, Trinity College Dublin)

Abstract

I present a model where firms' pricing power increases with the volatility of the general price level. Confronted with a change in the price of a good, consumers solve a signal extraction problem to infer the good's relative price. Yet general price volatility obscures price signals, and consumers attribute part of any price change to variation in the price level. Ultimately, imperfect information confers firms with greater market power, raises the profit share, and magnifies inflationary shocks. These predictions are in line with recent empirical evidence.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Scanlon, 2023. "A Model of Greedflation," Trinity Economics Papers tep1423, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tcd:tcduee:tep1423
    as

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    File URL: https://www.tcd.ie/Economics/TEP/2023/TEP1423.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bartosz Maćkowiak & Mirko Wiederholt, 2015. "Business Cycle Dynamics under Rational Inattention," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 82(4), pages 1502-1532.
    2. Link, Sebastian & Peichl, Andreas & Roth, Christopher & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2023. "Information frictions among firms and households," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 99-115.
    3. Olivier Coibion & Yuriy Gorodnichenko, 2015. "Information Rigidity and the Expectations Formation Process: A Simple Framework and New Facts," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(8), pages 2644-2678, August.
    4. Peter N. Ireland, 2004. "Technology Shocks in the New Keynesian Model," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(4), pages 923-936, November.
    5. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1972. "Expectations and the neutrality of money," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 103-124, April.
    6. Andrew Glover & Jose Mustre-del-Rio & Alice von Ende-Becker, 2023. "How Much Have Record Corporate Profits Contributed to Recent Inflation?," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, vol. 0(no.1), pages 1-13, January.
    7. Isabella M. Webe & Evan Wasner, 2023. "Sellers’ inflation, profits and conflict: why can large firms hike prices in an emergency?," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 11(2), pages 183-213, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pricelevel; Inflation; InformationalFrictions; InflationVolatility; CorporateProfits; Markups;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E30 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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