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An equilibrium analysis of efficiency gains from mergers

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  • Jovanovic, Dragan
  • Wey, Christian

Abstract

We analyze the efficiency defense in merger control. First, we show that the relationship between exogenous efficiency gains and social welfare can be non-monotone. Second, we consider both endogenous mergers and endogenous efficiencies and find that merger proposals are largely aligned with a proper social welfare analysis which explicitly considers the without merger counterfactual. We demonstrate that the merger specificity requirement does not help much to select socially desirable mergers; to the contrary, it may frustrate desirable mergers inducing firms not to claim efficiencies at all.

Suggested Citation

  • Jovanovic, Dragan & Wey, Christian, 2012. "An equilibrium analysis of efficiency gains from mergers," DICE Discussion Papers 64, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:dicedp:64
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jeremiah Harris & Ralph Siebert, 2015. "Driven by the Discount Factor: Impact of Mergers on Market Performance in the Semiconductor Industry," CESifo Working Paper Series 5199, CESifo.
    2. Jovanovic, Dragan, 2013. "Mergers, managerial incentives, and efficiencies," DICE Discussion Papers 88, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    3. Zhiqi Chen & Gang Li, 2018. "Do Merger Efficiencies Always Mitigate Price Increases?," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(1), pages 95-125, March.
    4. Harris, Jeremiah & Siebert, Ralph, 2017. "Firm-specific time preferences and postmerger firm performance," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 32-62.
    5. Mariana Cunha & Hélder Vasconcelos, 2018. "Sequential Mergers and Antitrust Authority’s Decisions in Stackelberg Markets," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 373-394, September.
    6. Ralph Siebert, 2017. "Heterogeneous Merger Impacts on Competitive Outcomes," CESifo Working Paper Series 6607, CESifo.
    7. Jovanovic, Dragan & Wey, Christian, 2014. "Passive partial ownership, sneaky takeovers, and merger control," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 125(1), pages 32-35.
    8. Mariana Cunha & Paula Sarmento & Hélder Vasconcelos, 2014. "Uncertain Efficiency Gains and Merger Policy," FEP Working Papers 527, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    9. Manfred Neumann, 2016. "Efficiency Defense in EU and US Horizontal Merger Control if Costs are Endogenous," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 17(1), pages 48-60, February.
    10. Linde, Sebastian & Siebert, Ralph B., 2023. "Exploring the incremental merger value from multimarket and technology arguments," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Horizontal Mergers; Efficiency Defense; Merger Specific Efficiencies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices

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