103 research outputs found
Consumer price behaviour in Luxembourg: evidence from micro CPI data
No full textThis paper uses micro-level price data and analyses the behaviour of consumer prices in Luxembourg. We find that the median duration of consumer prices is roughly 8 months. The median durations of energy and unprocessed food are about 1.5 and 5 months, while prices of services typically change fewer than once a year. For some product types, such as non-energy industrial goods and processed food, a relatively large share of the observed price changes is reverted afterwards. With the exception of services, individual prices do not show signs of downward rigidity. On average, price decreases are as large as price increases. Price changes are determined both by state- and time-dependent factors. Accumulated price and wage inflation, wage adjustment due to indexation, the cash changeover and a larger number of competitors increase the probability of a price change, while pricing at attractive pricing points and price regulation have the opposite effectPrice setting, consumer prices, rigidity, wage indexation, sales
The Single European Market, Swedish Investment Liberalisation, and Horizontal and Vertical Multinationals
No full textThis paper analyses the effects of the Single European Market and Swedish Investment liberalisation on the structure of Swedish multinationals with their EU affiliates. The empirical results suggest that the determinants associated with horizontal and vertical multinationals have become increasingly relevant between 1974 and 1994. Horizontal multinationals are increasingly deterred by large plant-level economies of scale, increasingly associated with large trade costs and relative factor endowment similarities, while vertical multinationals are increasingly associated with relative factor endowment differences. This suggests that European integration has increased competitive pressures to enhance efficiency in exploiting economies of scale, and specialisation according to comparative advantages.Single European Market; Swedish Investment Liberalisation; Country Size; Factor Endowments; Horizontal & Vertical Multinationals
Non-Tariff Barriers, Market Access and Trade
No full textThis paper analyses the effects of non-tariff barriers, in terms of both variable and fixed export costs, on trade structure. The relationship between fixed and variable trade costs determines whether international trade emerges. If trade emerges, only variable, but not fixed export costs, influence the trade structure. The empirical results suggest that non-tariff barriers act, in particular, as fixed export costs, as the trade and intra-industry trade emerge in a larger number of industries than prior to the Single European Market programme, while the share of intra-industry trade is unaffected.Factor Endowments; Country Size; Non-Tariff Barriers; Market Access; Economic Integration; Intra-& Inter-Industry Trade
New survey evidence on the pricing behaviour of Luxembourg firms
No full textThis paper analyses the pricing behaviour of Luxembourg firms based on survey evidence. Luxembourg firms typically have low market share, many competitors and longstanding customer relationships. Price discrimination is frequently applied. A majority of firms use price review rules that include elements of state dependency. The median firm reviews and changes prices twice a year. The results suggest an almost equal share of firms applying forward-looking, backward-looking and rules of thumb behaviour. The adjustment speed is faster when cost goes up and demand goes down than in the opposite cases. The most relevant theories explaining price rigidity are implicit contracts, cost-based pricing and explicit contracts. Increases in labour and other costs are the most important factors leading to price increases; for price reductions it is price reductions by competitors followed by declining labour costs.Survey data, price setting, price rigidity, adjustment speed
Regulated and services’ prices and inflation persistence
No full textThis paper analyses the degree of price rigidity and of inflation persistence across different product categories with particular focus on regulated prices and services for the individual EU15 countries, as well as for the EU15 and the euro area aggregates. We show that services and HICP sub-indices considered being subject to price regulation exhibit larger degrees of nominal price rigidities, with less frequent but larger price index changes as well as stronger asymmetries between price index increases and decreases. With regard to what extent services and regulated prices contribute to the degree of overall inflation persistence, we find that, for most of the EU15 countries as well as for the EU15 and the euro area aggregates, excluding services from the full HICP results in a reduction in the measured degree of inflation persistence; for regulated indices such an effect is also discernible, albeit to a lesser extent. JEL Classification: E31, C22, C23, C43Inflation persistence, price rigidity, regulated prices, services
Nominal rigidities and inflation persistence in Luxembourg: a comparison with EU 15 member countries with particular focus on services and regulated prices
No full textThis paper analyses the degree of price rigidity and of inflation persistence across different product categories with particular focus on regulated prices and services for the individual EU15 countries, as well as for the EU15 and the euro area aggregates. We show that services and those HICP sub-indices considered being subject to price regulation exhibit larger degrees of nominal price rigidities, with less frequent but larger price index changes as well as stronger asymmetries between price index increases and decreases. With regard to what extent services and regulated prices contribute to the degree of overall inflation persistence, we find that, for most of the EU15 countries as well as for the EU15 and the euro area aggregates, excluding services from the full HICP results in a reduction in the measured degree of inflation persistence; for regulated indices such an effect is also discernible, albeit to a lesser extent.Price rigidity, inflation persistence, regulated prices, services
New survey evidence on the pricing behaviour of Luxembourg firms
No full textThis paper analyses the pricing behaviour of Luxembourg firms based on survey evidence. Luxembourg firms typically have low market share, many competitors and longstanding customer relationships. Price discrimination is frequently applied. A majority of firms use price review rules that include elements of state dependency. The median firm reviews and changes prices twice a year. The results suggest an almost equal share of firms applying forwardlooking, backward-looking and rules of thumb behaviour. The adjustment speed is faster when cost goes up and demand goes down than in the opposite cases. The most relevant theories explaining price rigidity are implicit contracts, cost-based pricing and explicit contracts. Increases in labour and other costs are the most important factors leading to price increases; for price reductions it is price reductions by competitors followed by declining labour costs. JEL Classification: C21, C22, C14adjustment speed, price rigidity, price setting, survey data
The single European market, Swedish investment liberalisation, and horizontal and vertical multinationals
No full textThis paper analyses the effects of the Single European Market and Swedish Investment liberalisation on the structure of Swedish multinationals with their EU affiliates. The empirical results suggest that the determinants associated with horizontal and vertical multinationals have become increasingly relevant between 1974 and 1994. Horizontal multinationals are increasingly deterred by large plant-level economies of scale, increasingly associated with large trade costs and relative factor endowment similarities, while vertical multinationals are increasingly associated with relative factor endowment differences. This suggests that European integration has increased competitive pressures to enhance efficiency in exploiting economies of scale, and specialisation according to comparative advantages
Consumer price behaviour in Luxembourg: evidence from micro CPI data
No full textThis paper uses micro-level price data and analyses the behaviour of consumer prices in Luxembourg. We find that the median duration of consumer prices is roughly 8 months. The median durations of energy and unprocessed food are about 1.5 and 5 months, while prices of services typically change fewer than once a year. For some product types, such as non-energy industrial goods and processed food, a relatively large share of the observed price changes is reverted afterwards. With the exception of services, individual prices do not show signs of downward rigidity. On average, price decreases are as large as price increases. Price changes are determined both by state- and time-dependent factors. Accumulated price and wage inflation, wage adjustment due to indexation, the cash changeover and a larger number of competitors increase the probability of a price change, while pricing at attractive pricing points and price regulation have the opposite effect. JEL Classification: E31, C23, C41consumer prices, price setting, rigidity, sales, wage indexation
Search in the product market and the real business cycle
No full textWe develop a search-matching model, where firms search for customers (e.g. in form of advertising). Firms use long-term contracts and bargain over prices, resulting in a price mark up above marginal cost, which is pro- cyclical and depends on firms’ relative bargaining power. Product market frictions decrease the steady state equilibrium, improve the cyclical properties of the model and provide a more realistic picture of firms’ business environment. This suggests that product market frictions may well be crucial in explaining business cycle fluctuations. Finally, we also show that welfare costs of price rigidities are negligible relative to welfare costs of frictions. JEL Classification: E10, E31, E32business cycle, Frictions, Price bargain, product market
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