IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/finmgt/v53y2024i2p233-266.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Market power and systematic risk

Author

Listed:
  • Fabian Hollstein
  • Marcel Prokopczuk
  • Christoph Matthias Würsig

Abstract

We examine the impact of product market competition on firms' systematic risk. Using a measure of total product market similarity, we document a strong negative relationship between market power and market betas. The effect more than triples in the most recent period of low competition. Anticompetitive mergers result in a significant reduction in market betas. Firms facing less competition seem to be partially insulated from systematic discount‐rate shocks. Lower equity costs therefore imply that market power is partly self‐perpetuating.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabian Hollstein & Marcel Prokopczuk & Christoph Matthias Würsig, 2024. "Market power and systematic risk," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 53(2), pages 233-266, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:finmgt:v:53:y:2024:i:2:p:233-266
    DOI: 10.1111/fima.12438
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/fima.12438
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/fima.12438?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Leonid Kogan & Dimitris Papanikolaou, 2013. "Firm Characteristics and Stock Returns: The Role of Investment-Specific Shocks," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(11), pages 2718-2759.
    2. Farrell, Joseph & Shapiro, Carl, 1990. "Horizontal Mergers: An Equilibrium Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(1), pages 107-126, March.
    3. Alexandre Corhay & Howard Kung & Lukas Schmid & Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, 2020. "Competition, Markups, and Predictable Returns," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(12), pages 5906-5939.
    4. David Autor & David Dorn & Lawrence F Katz & Christina Patterson & John Van Reenen, 2020. "The Fall of the Labor Share and the Rise of Superstar Firms [“Automation and New Tasks: How Technology Displaces and Reinstates Labor”]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(2), pages 645-709.
    5. John R. Graham, 2022. "Presidential Address: Corporate Finance and Reality," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(4), pages 1975-2049, August.
    6. Philippon, Thomas & Gutierrez, German, 2017. "Declining Competition and Investment in the U.S," CEPR Discussion Papers 12536, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. Curley, Anthony J & Hexter, J Lawrence & Choi, Dosoung, 1982. "The Cost of Capital and the Market Power of Firms: A Comment," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 64(3), pages 519-523, August.
    8. Philipp Krüger & Augustin Landier & David Thesmar, 2015. "The WACC Fallacy: The Real Effects of Using a Unique Discount Rate," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(3), pages 1253-1285, June.
    9. Eckbo, B. Espen, 1983. "Horizontal mergers, collusion, and stockholder wealth," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(1-4), pages 241-273, April.
    10. Dalton, James A & Penn, David W, 1976. "The Concentration-Profitability Relationship: Is There a Critical Concentration Ratio?," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 133-142, December.
    11. Tim Bollerslev & Viktor Todorov, 2011. "Tails, Fears, and Risk Premia," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(6), pages 2165-2211, December.
    12. Peyser, Paul S, 1994. "Beta, Market Power and Wage Rate Uncertainty," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 217-226, June.
    13. Hollstein, Fabian, 2020. "Estimating beta: The international evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    14. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1997. "Industry costs of equity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 153-193, February.
    15. Ferson, Wayne E & Harvey, Campbell R, 1991. "The Variation of Economic Risk Premiums," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(2), pages 385-415, April.
    16. Marti G. Subrahmanyam & Stavros B. Thomadakis, 1980. "Systematic Risk and the Theory of the Firm," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 94(3), pages 437-451.
    17. Moyer, R. Charles & Chatfield, Robert, 1983. "Market power and systematic risk," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 123-130.
    18. Ron Giammarino & Murray Carlson & Adlai Fisher, 2004. "Corporate Investment and Asset Price Dynamics: Implications for Post-SEO Performance," 2004 Meeting Papers 812, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    19. Gerard Hoberg & Gordon Phillips, 2010. "Real and Financial Industry Booms and Busts," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(1), pages 45-86, February.
    20. Hackbarth, Dirk & Miao, Jianjun, 2012. "The dynamics of mergers and acquisitions in oligopolistic industries," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 585-609.
    21. Gustavo Grullon & Yelena Larkin & Roni Michaely, 2019. "Are US Industries Becoming More Concentrated?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 23(4), pages 697-743.
    22. Bae, Kee-Hong & Bailey, Warren & Kang, Jisok, 2021. "Why is stock market concentration bad for the economy?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 436-459.
    23. Perry, Martin K & Porter, Robert H, 1985. "Oligopoly and the Incentive for Horizontal Merger," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(1), pages 219-227, March.
    24. Kewei Hou & David T. Robinson, 2006. "Industry Concentration and Average Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(4), pages 1927-1956, August.
    25. Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R., 2001. "The theory and practice of corporate finance: evidence from the field," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2-3), pages 187-243, May.
    26. Donald Alexander & Paul Thistle, 1999. "Market Power, Efficiency and the Dispersion of Systematic Risk," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 14(4), pages 377-390, June.
    27. Lettau, Martin & Maggiori, Matteo & Weber, Michael, 2014. "Conditional risk premia in currency markets and other asset classes," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(2), pages 197-225.
    28. repec:bla:jfinan:v:59:y:2004:i:6:p:2577-2603 is not listed on IDEAS
    29. Binder, John J, 1992. "Beta, Firm Size, and Concentration," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 30(3), pages 556-563, July.
    30. Dirk Hackbarth & Erwan Morellec, 2008. "Stock Returns in Mergers and Acquisitions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(3), pages 1213-1252, June.
    31. Abdoh, Hussein & Varela, Oscar, 2017. "Product market competition, idiosyncratic and systematic volatility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 500-513.
    32. Joao Gomes & Leonid Kogan & Lu Zhang, 2003. "Equilibrium Cross Section of Returns," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 111(4), pages 693-732, August.
    33. Hollstein, Fabian & Prokopczuk, Marcel & Wese Simen, Chardin, 2019. "Estimating beta: Forecast adjustments and the impact of stock characteristics for a broad cross-section," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 91-118.
    34. Sullivan, Timothy G, 1978. "The Cost of Capital and the Market Power of Firms," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 60(2), pages 209-217, May.
    35. M. Cecilia Bustamante & Andres Donangelo, 2017. "Product Market Competition and Industry Returns," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(12), pages 4216-4266.
    36. Fathollahi, Maryam & Harford, Jarrad & Klasa, Sandy, 2022. "Anticompetitive effects of horizontal acquisitions: The impact of within-industry product similarity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(2), pages 645-669.
    37. Chevalier, Judith A, 1995. "Capital Structure and Product-Market Competition: Empirical Evidence from the Supermarket Industry," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(3), pages 415-435, June.
    38. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1993. "Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 3-56, February.
    39. Gerard Hoberg & Gordon Phillips, 2010. "Product Market Synergies and Competition in Mergers and Acquisitions: A Text-Based Analysis," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(10), pages 3773-3811, October.
    40. Jan De Loecker & Jan Eeckhout & Gabriel Unger, 2020. "The Rise of Market Power and the Macroeconomic Implications [“Econometric Tools for Analyzing Market Outcomes”]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(2), pages 561-644.
    41. Jie Cai & Moon H. Song & Ralph A. Walkling, 2011. "Anticipation, Acquisitions, and Bidder Returns: Industry Shocks and the Transfer of Information across Rivals," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(7), pages 2242-2285.
    42. Black, Fischer & Scholes, Myron S, 1973. "The Pricing of Options and Corporate Liabilities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 637-654, May-June.
    43. Kit Pong Wong, 1995. "Cournot oligopoly and systematic risk," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 385-395, October.
    44. Chevalier, Judith A, 1995. "Do LBO Supermarkets Charge More? An Empirical Analysis of the Effects of LBOs on Supermarket Pricing," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(4), pages 1095-1112, September.
    45. Matias Covarrubias & Germán Gutiérrez & Thomas Philippon, 2020. "From Good to Bad Concentration? US Industries over the Past 30 Years," NBER Macroeconomics Annual, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(1), pages 1-46.
    46. Gerard Hoberg & Gordon Phillips & Nagpurnanand Prabhala, 2014. "Product Market Threats, Payouts, and Financial Flexibility," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(1), pages 293-324, February.
    47. Fama, Eugene F & MacBeth, James D, 1973. "Risk, Return, and Equilibrium: Empirical Tests," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 607-636, May-June.
    48. John Graham, 2022. "Presidential Address: Corporate Finance and Reality," NBER Working Papers 29841, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dou, Winston Wei & Ji, Yan & Wu, Wei, 2021. "Competition, profitability, and discount rates," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 582-620.
    2. Po-Hsuan Hsu & Hsiao-Hui Lee & Tong Zhou, 2022. "Patent Thickets, Stock Returns, and Conditional CAPM," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(11), pages 8343-8367, November.
    3. Katarzyna Platt, 2020. "Corporate Bonds And Product Market Competition," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 43(3), pages 615-647, August.
    4. Vivek Sharma, 2011. "Stock returns and product market competition: beyond industry concentration," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 283-299, October.
    5. Abdoh, Hussein & Varela, Oscar, 2017. "Product market competition, idiosyncratic and systematic volatility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 500-513.
    6. Dirk Hackbarth & Bart Taub, 2022. "Does the Potential to Merge Reduce Competition?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(7), pages 5364-5383, July.
    7. Winston Wei Dou & Yan Ji, 2021. "External Financing and Customer Capital: A Financial Theory of Markups," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5569-5585, September.
    8. Bhamra, Harjoat S. & Shim, Kyung Hwan, 2017. "Stochastic idiosyncratic cash flow risk and real options: Implications for stock returns," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 400-431.
    9. Sertsios, Giorgo, 2020. "Corporate finance, industrial organization, and organizational economics," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    10. Michael Weber, 2014. "Nominal Rigidities and Asset Pricing," 2014 Meeting Papers 53, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    11. Chincarini, Ludwig B. & Kim, Daehwan & Moneta, Fabio, 2020. "Beta and firm age," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 50-74.
    12. Ang, Andrew & Kristensen, Dennis, 2012. "Testing conditional factor models," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(1), pages 132-156.
    13. Pablo Moran, 2017. "Information Revelation in Merger Waves," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 6(2), pages 174-233.
    14. repec:gnv:wpaper:unige:76321 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Paul Handro & Bogdan Dima, 2024. "Analyzing Financial Markets Efficiency: Insights from a Bibliometric and Content Review," Journal of Financial Studies, Institute of Financial Studies, vol. 16(9), pages 119-175, May.
    16. Abdoh, Hussein, 2023. "Rivals risk-taking incentives and firm corporate policy," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 106-123.
    17. Ang, Andrew & Chen, Joseph, 2007. "CAPM over the long run: 1926-2001," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 1-40, January.
    18. Patrick Gagliardini & Elisa Ossola & Olivier Scaillet, 2016. "Time‐Varying Risk Premium in Large Cross‐Sectional Equity Data Sets," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 84, pages 985-1046, May.
    19. Hollstein, Fabian & Prokopczuk, Marcel, 2022. "Testing Factor Models in the Cross-Section," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    20. Valta, Philip, 2012. "Competition and the cost of debt," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(3), pages 661-682.
    21. Chabi-Yo, Fousseni & Ruenzi, Stefan & Weigert, Florian, 2018. "Crash Sensitivity and the Cross Section of Expected Stock Returns," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(3), pages 1059-1100, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:finmgt:v:53:y:2024:i:2:p:233-266. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/fmaaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.