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Merger Analysis with Unobserved Prices

Paul S. Koh

arXiv 11 Apr 2024 · Econometrics

arXiv:2404.07684 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

Standard empirical tools for merger analysis assume price data, which are often unavailable. I characterize sufficient conditions for identifying the unilateral effects of mergers without price data using the first-order approach and merger simulation. Data on merging firms' revenues, margins, and revenue diversion ratios are sufficient to identify their gross upward pricing pressure indices and compensating marginal cost reductions. Standard discrete-continuous demand assumptions facilitate the identification of revenue diversion ratios as well as the feasibility of merger simulation in terms of percentage change in price. I apply the framework to the Albertsons/Safeway (2015) and Staples/Office Depot (2016) mergers.

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82
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distinct cited
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Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Conlon, C. and Mortimer, J. H (2021) Empirical properties of diversion ratios1.00063100%
2Ellickson, P. B., Grieco, P. L., and Khvastunov, O (2020) Measuring competition in spatial retail0.97715693%
3Werden, G. J (1996) A robust test for consumer welfare enhancing mergers among sellers of differentiated products0.9507586%
4Farrell, J. and Shapiro, C (2010) Antitrust evaluation of horizontal mergers: An economic alternative to market definition0.94613585%
5Nocke, V. and Schutz, N (2018) Multiproduct-firm oligopoly: An aggregative games approach0.92844100%
6Jaffe, S. and Weyl, E. G (2013) The first-order approach to merger analysis0.87482100%
7Miller, N. H., Remer, M., Ryan, C., and Sheu, G (2017) Upward pricing pressure as a predictor of merger price effects0.8558462%
8U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon (2024) Opinion and order in Federal Trade Commission et al. v. The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Companies, Inc0.84333100%
9Smith, H (2004) Supermarket choice and supermarket competition in market equilibrium0.81142100%
10Hosken, D. and Tenn, S (2016) Horizontal merger analysis in retail markets0.73732100%

Showing the top 10 of 82 scored citations.