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Ex-Post Merger Review and Divestitures

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Abstract

Divestitures have received little attention in ex-post evaluations of mergers. In partial remedy we simulate the effects of the Carlsberg-Pripps merger in the Swedish beer market and compare the predicted outcomes with those observed ex-post. There are no important price increases following the merger and prices of divested beers fell. Our merger simulations, that are based on a random coefficients logit model, capture these pricing patterns and suggest that the divestitures were important in limiting price increases. Knowledge of the retailer's markup rules allows us to discard retailer behavior as an explanation for the pricing patterns.

Suggested Citation

  • Romahn, André & Friberg, Richard, 2012. "Ex-Post Merger Review and Divestitures," IESE Research Papers D/1056, IESE Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-1056
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    File URL: http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/WP-1056-E.pdf
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    Cited by:

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    2. L. Aguzzoni & E. Argentesi & P. Buccirossi & L. Ciari & T. Duso & M. Tognoni & C. Vitale, 2013. "They Played the Merger Game: A Retrospective Analysis in the UK Videogames Market," Working Papers wp908, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    3. Luca Aguzzoni & Elena Argentesi & Lorenzo Ciari & Tomaso Duso & Massimo Tognoni, 2016. "Ex post Merger Evaluation in the U.K. Retail Market for Books," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(1), pages 170-200, March.
    4. Vivienne Pham & David Prentice, 2013. "A Random Coefficients Logit Analysis of the Counterfactual: A Merger and Divestiture in the Australian Cigarette Industry," Working Papers 2013.04, School of Economics, La Trobe University.
    5. Monia Lougui & Anders Broström, 2021. "New firm formation in the wake of mergers and acquisitions: An exploration of push and pull factors," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 65-89, January.
    6. Lougui, Monia & Broström, Anders, 2016. "New firm formation in the wake of mergers and acquisitions: Are employees pushed or pulled into entrepreneurship?," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 427, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Merger simulation; ex-post merger review; divestitures; demand for beer;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • L66 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Food; Beverages; Cosmetics; Tobacco

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