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Price and Inventory Dynamics in an Oligopoly Industry: A Framework for Commodity Markets

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  • Alexander Steinmetz

Abstract

This paper analyzes the interaction between price and inventory decisions in an oligopoly industry and its implications for the dynamics of prices. The work extends existing literature and especially the work of Hall and Rust (2007) to endogenous prices and strategic oligopoly competition. We show that the optimal decision rule is an (S, s) order policy and prices and inventory are strategic substitutes. Fixed ordering costs generate infrequent orders. Consequently, with strategic competition in prices, (S, s) inventory behavior together with demand uncertainty generates endogenous cyclical patterns in prices without any exogenous shocks. Hence, the developed model provides a promising framework for explaining dynamics of commodity markets and especially observed autocorrelation in price fluctuations.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Steinmetz, 2010. "Price and Inventory Dynamics in an Oligopoly Industry: A Framework for Commodity Markets," Working Papers 092, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    • Handle: RePEc:bav:wpaper:092_steinmetz
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. George Hall & John Rust, 2007. "The (S,s) Policy is an Optimal Trading Strategy in a Class of Commodity Price Speculation Problems," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 30(3), pages 515-538, March.
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    7. Kirman, Alan P & Sobel, Matthew J, 1974. "Dynamic Oligopoly with Inventories," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 42(2), pages 279-287, March.
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    10. Carter, Colin A & MacLaren, Donald, 1997. "Price or Quantity Competition? Oligopolistic Structures in International Commodity Markets," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(3), pages 373-385, August.
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    12. Dutta, Prajit K & Sundaram, Rangarajan, 1992. "Markovian Equilibrium in a Class of Stochastic Games: Existence Theorems for Discounted and Undiscounted Models," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 2(2), pages 197-214, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rod Tyers & Aaron Walker, 2016. "Quantifying Australia's ‘Three-Speed’ Boom," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 49(1), pages 20-43, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inventory dynamics; price competition; oligopoly; (S; s) order policy; commodity markets.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce

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