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When is the Price Cost Margin a Safe Way to Measure Changes in Competition?

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  • Jan Boone
  • Jan Ours
  • Henry Wiel

Abstract

The price cost margin (PCM) is a popular way to measure competition. Although we know that this measure is not without problems, we actually do not know how often and under which conditions a change in PCM points in the wrong direction. We use a new competition measure, the profit elasticity, which is more robust than PCM. Our empirical analysis based on Dutch data shows that when competition changes the probability that PCM points in the wrong direction increases with industry concentration. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Boone & Jan Ours & Henry Wiel, 2013. "When is the Price Cost Margin a Safe Way to Measure Changes in Competition?," De Economist, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 45-67, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:decono:v:161:y:2013:i:1:p:45-67
    DOI: 10.1007/s10645-012-9196-7
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    7. van Leuvensteijn, Michiel & Huljak, Ivan & de Bondt, Gabe, 2024. "A new measure of firm-level competition: an application to euro area banks," Working Paper Series 2925, European Central Bank.
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    11. Eric E. O. Opoku & Isabel K. M. Yan & Kate Hynes, 2020. "Reaching up and reaching out: The impact of competition on firms’ productivity and export decisions," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 69-101, February.
    12. Iryna Okolelova & Jacob A. Bikker, 2022. "The single supervisory mechanism: Competitive implications for the banking sectors in the euro area," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 1818-1835, April.
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    16. Koffi Elitcha, 2021. "The moderating role of stock markets in the bank competition-entrepreneurship relationship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1333-1360, April.
    17. De Bonis, Riccardo & Marinelli, Giuseppe & Vercelli, Francesco, 2018. "Playing yo-yo with bank competition: New evidence from 1890 to 2014," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 134-151.
    18. Raymond F. D. D. Chaudron & Leo Haan & Marco Hoeberichts, 2023. "Banks’ Net Interest Income from Maturity Transformation and Other Interest Income: Communicating Vessels?," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 63(1), pages 35-62, February.
    19. Kuessi, Richard & Nantob, N'Yilimon & Aguey, Segnon & Couchoro, Mawuli Kodjovi, 2023. "Competition and banking efficiency in the WAEMU: The role of multinationals and institutions," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 45-62.
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    22. Hussain Khan, Habib & Kutan, Ali M., 2023. "Banking sector competition and firms’ financial constraints: Firm-Level evidence from developing economies," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Competition; Profit elasticity; Price cost margin; Measures of competition; Concentration; D43; L13;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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