With and without the tracks: how railroad access impacts gas price elasticity

Since 2011, gas prices have fallen 43%, raising the question of how different communities adjust their vehicle miles travelled. Data from the National Household Travel Survey’s EPA fuel economy database and the Energy Information Administration database are used to measure consumers’ elasticity to changes in gas prices. We find no significant difference between the price elasticity of individuals in cities with rail access and those without. Furthermore, we are able to rule out an elasticity in those with rail that is greater than 0.61, suggesting that rail access does not make consumer demand elastic.     

Housing price variability: national and local impacts

This article examines the influence of national and local forces on housing prices in 20 local US real estate markets during the recent housing price run-up and decline. We use reduced-form panel data fixed-effects models with robust SEs to determine the impact of national and local effects on housing prices in 20 US cities across time. A national home price index and mortgage rate are used to measure national impacts on the local markets. A mix of socio-economic variables estimates local impacts. We find no results indicating that national trends lack relevance in local markets; however, we find wide support for the additional inclusion of local socio-economic factors in all markets. The findings are consistent with an environment in which national polices and trends influence all markets; however local policymakers and investors can continue to expect geographic differences in market outcomes.     

The use of data envelopment analysis for the detection of price above the competitive level

Economic theory can predict the impact of exogenous influences on the equilibrium prices in a market. However, it is difficult to measure the magnitude of such effects because the appropriate data are usually not available. In this paper a new approach to comparing prices is explored using individual firm data which are typically available. If the firms in different markets can be assumed to use the same technology, price differentials can be inferred from the estimates can be assumed to use the same technology, price differentials can be inferred from the estimates of best practice frontiers. The new approach is applied to data on the Swiss construction industry in different cantons. In some cantons the market can be said to be competitive, in others non-competitive procurement rules are expected to raise equilibrium prices. The data envelopment analysis estimates the price differential to be approximately equal to 7.5%.Helpful criticism from participants of a seminar at the Business Institute of the University of Vienna are gratefully acknowledged.     

A tale of two Italian cities: brand-level milk demand and price competition

We apply the BLP random coefficient logit model demand model to fluid milk sales data from two north-south Italian cities: Turin and Naples. By virtue of their location and socioeconomic differences, these cities provide a natural experiment for contrasting consumer choices and retail market power related to milk physical and marketing characteristics. Results reveal that, regardless of location, consumers negatively value price increases, fat content and ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment. However, location matters with respect to brand and type of milk purchased. While in Turin (the higher-income region) demand for the leading manufacturers’ brands is the most price inelastic, in Naples consumers have the lowest price elasticities in case of cheaper milk, often small manufacturer or private label brands. Unlike previous studies, we do not find price elasticities for private labels to be consistently lower (or markups to be higher) compared to manufacturer brands, indicating that private labels have reached maturity in these markets. Further, while demand for fresh milk is more price inelastic in Turin, it is more inelastic for UHT milk in Naples. Likewise, markups and Lerner indexes are higher for fresh milk in Turin and for UHT in Naples corresponding to the more inelastic demands under Bertrand price competition.     

A panel stationarity test with gradual structural shifts: Re-investigate the international commodity price shocks

This paper proposes a simple panel stationarity test which takes into account structural shifts and cross-section dependency. Structural shifts are modelled as gradual/smooth process with a Fourier approximation. The so-called Fourier panel stationarity test has a standard normal distribution. The Monte Carlo simulations indicate that (i) if the error terms are i.i.d, the test shows good size and power properties even in small samples; and (ii) if the error terms are serially correlated, the test has reasonable size and high power. We re-examine the behavior of the international commodity prices and find out an evidence on the persistence of shocks.     

The impacts of investor sentiment and price uncertainty on the effects of open-market share repurchase announcements

This study probes into relationship between investor sentiment and cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) of share repurchase announcements, and it treats market return as threshold variable. By threshold regression model, it tries to find the effect of market situations on relation between investor sentiment and CAR. According to empirical result, in share market of Taiwan, investor sentiment can explain CAR. When share market is extremely pessimistic (market return lower than ?16.0053%), relation between investor sentiment and CAR will change to some degree. In addition, relation between price risk of announcement company and CAR will disappear with the extremely pessimistic situation of market.     

Labor supply: Toward the construction of an alternative conception from post Keynesian and institutional economics

Post Keynesian and institutional economics have traditionally maintained a critical stance toward the orthodox model of labor supply, questioning many of its underlying assumptions. Nevertheless, this critical view has not led to the formulation of an alternative conception of labor supply that is sufficiently coherent and structured to be generally accepted within these branches of the literature. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to contribute to the construction of such an alternative. To do so, the article starts by analyzing the relationship between the reasons that lead to individuals offering their labor and what that activity can bring to human beings in return. Secondly, the authors present an alternative concept of what workers contribute at work. They then analyze how the decision-making process regarding the labor supply actually takes place. Finally, the article concludes by briefly presenting certain additional points, in particular how differentiation is an inherent feature of the labor supply.     

The price of broadband quality: tracking the changing valuation of service characteristics

This paper investigates how retail broadband prices, choice and quality are changing over time. Using a data set containing daily observations of plans offered in Ireland from 2007 to 2013, this paper applies hedonic modelling techniques to observe the changing pricing of service characteristics. Although we find that average nominal prices remain static throughout our sample period, quality of service has risen dramatically over time, particularly with respect to download speed. Some characteristics of broadband plans exhibit broadly stable valuations over time, but the elasticity of price with respect to advertised download speed and the premium on bundled services declined for most types of broadband plans during the sample period. In addition, the retail price premium enjoyed by the incumbent operator fell significantly since 2007.     

Oil price uncertainty and the business cycle: Accounting for the influences of global supply and demand within a VAR GARCH-in-mean framework

ABSTRACT

This article reinvestigates the influence of oil price uncertainty on real economic activity in the United States using a four-variable VAR GARCH-in-mean asymmetric BEKK model. In contrast to previous studies in this area, the analysis focuses on business cycle fluctuations and we control for global supply and demand factors that might affect the real price of oil, its volatility as well as the US economy. We find that – even after accounting for these factors – oil price uncertainty still has a highly significant negative influence on the US business cycle. Our computations show that the effect is economically important during several periods, mostly after a significant variance shift in the mid-1980s. We simultaneously estimate the effect on the global business cycle but find that it is comparatively weak. Finally, significant spillover effects in the GARCH model suggest that oil price volatility is a gauge and channel of transmission of more general macroeconomic shocks and uncertainty. These linkages are particularly strong in case of unexpected bad news.     

Choice of mortgage instrument,liquidity constraints and the demand for housing debt in the UK

The research uses microdata to estimate reduced form mortgage demand equations based on truncated regressions, dissagregated by choice of mortgage instrument. The choice is between a standard annuity mortgage and a balloon type mortgage (the endowment). The estimates are used to indicate the differential impact of credit market rationing and financial liberalization on households. The results indicate significant variations in mortgage demand by choice of mortgage instrument. Econometric testing demonstrates that the choice between an endowment and a repayment mortgage can be used as an exogenous indicator of liquidity and portfolio positions and different user costs of owner occupation.     

产业结构状况和养殖收入影响因素分析——基于朱桥乡的调查

本文通过对安徽宣城市朱桥乡渔业经济状况的调查,发现发展水产品养殖业是农(渔)民增收的有力和有效手段。专业渔业和兼业渔业分别受到生产、市场、制度、环境和外部性等因素的影响,面临不同的风险,要增加农(渔)民的收入,需要趋利避害,化解相关风险。     

Spatial and supply/demand agglomeration economies: State- and industry-linkages in the U.S. food system

Cost-impacts of spatial and industrial spillovers on economicperformance are evaluated by incorporating activity level measures for nearby states and related industries into a cost function model. We focus on localization and urbanization economies for state level food processing industries, from activity levels of similar industries in neighboring states, agricultural input suppliers, and final product demand. We find significant cost-savings from proximity to other food manufacturing centers, and areas with high purchasing power. Cost savings from locating near an agricultural area are also evident, although it seems costly to be located within a rural agricultural state, implying thin market diseconomies. Marginal production costs instead appear higher in more urban, and lower in more rural, areas. These spillover patterns also have input composition implications; materials demand responses are the most closely tracked by the agglomeration cost effects, and capital and labor impacts vary.     

Exploring the interaction between stock price index and exchange rates: an asymmetric threshold approach

This article examines the impact of stock market news on the foreign exchange markets of USA, Canada and UK, employing an innovative extension of the asymmetric threshold model of Apergis and Miller (2006). Under this framework we can disentangle the reaction of foreign exchange market to bad or good news and small or large news of stock returns. Our comprehensive daily data-set spans the period from January 1990 to June 2014. Using a cointegration and error correction model, we document the existence of a causal relationship between stock market and foreign exchange markets. Most interestingly, our results derived from the asymmetric threshold model confirm that the relationship between stock and foreign exchange markets is sensitive to short-term good or bad news and short-term small or large news. Our findings entail significant implications for policymakers, governments, risk managers and international investors.     

Disentangling the effects of process and product innovation on cost and demand

ABSTRACT

We explore in this note different structural models of the impact of process and product innovation on firms' demand and production cost functions. We find that the introduction of process and product innovations affects them differently as could be expected. Both product and process innovation shift forward the demand for the products of the firm. Process innovation reduces production marginal cost, but not always. A possibility, that we cannot prove or reject with the current specification of our models and available data, is that process innovation associated with product innovation raise marginal cost. Interestingly, we also find that advertising significantly augments demand but does not affect production marginal cost. To obtain broader conclusions, richer data will be needed allowing an enlargement of the model, in which process and product innovations could be specified distinctively and well identified.     

Estimating the link between trade uncertainty,pandemic uncertainty and food price stability in Togo: New evidence for an asymmetric analysis

Globally, the outbreak of COVID-19 and the associated containment measures adopted by governments are causing disruptions that sow uncertainty in several sectors of the economy. In this study, we explore the asymmetric impact of pandemic uncertainty and global trade policy on food prices in Togo. The study uses a nonlinear autoregressive distributive lag (NARDL) framework and causality tests for the period 2000 M1–2021 M5. The results show that the different types of uncertainty affect food price stability in the short and long run, but the shock is more pronounced in the case of pandemic uncertainty, as they are sudden and disrupt food price stability. The main findings remain significant when we use various alternative methods and estimation techniques. However, our results suggest that the Togolese food market is facing pandemic uncertainty and trade policy, which should lead policymakers and stakeholders to take corrective measures to control losses.     

Policy reform and farmers' coping strategies: The case of corn price shocks in Heilongjiang Province of China

A substantial decrease in corn prices caused by the policy reform in 2016 in China led to heterogeneous supply responses of corn producers: decreasing corn acreage, making no change in corn acreage, and expanding corn acreage. We investigate the causes and consequences of cropland allocation of the supply responses using the balanced panel data on corn-producing households from 2015 through 2016 in Heilongjiang Province. We find that the corn producers largely acted in accordance with their own household resource endowments to make their choice decisions in response to the corn price shocks. Our results show that the decrease in corn prices led to a small decline in total corn acreage and a considerable increase in total acreage for soybeans and rice in 2016 and that the increase in total soybean acreage was more through area expansion rather than through substitution. Our results also show that crop structure for large-scale producers was more responsive to corn price than for medium- and small-scale producers. Given that continuous corn rotation prevails currently in Heilongjiang, our major finding suggests that the acreages planted to corn and soybeans cannot be easily adjusted by the market.     

A macroeconomic model of aggregate supply and demand for the UK

In this paper we publish for the first time the econometric model of the UK economy recently developed at City University Business School (CUBS). The differentiating feature of the CUBS model is its concern with the ‘supply side’ and its attempt to estimate an aggregate production function. The model distinguishes between markets in goods and services, labour, capital, money and foreign exchange.     

Expectations and regime robustness in price formation: evidence from vector autoregressive models and recursive methods

The forward-looking linear quadratic adjustment cost (LQAC) model has received attention when modelling prices. Empirical evidence supporting the model seems, however, ambiguous. We find that the LQAC-model is severely at odds with price data for Norwegian machinery exports also when the pure forward-looking rule is augmented by additional lags of the targeted variable. A conditional equilibrium correction (EqCM) model explains the export price behaviour more accurately. Our findings may rule out a large class of expectations based models and not just the particular LQAC-model in the formation of export prices. We also demonstrate that the EqCM-model performs well post-sample despite that monetary policy in Norway has changed from a fixed to a floating exchange rate regime following a recent introduction of inflation targeting. This regime robustness shows that the Lucas critique lacks force empirically in our case.     

Asset price momentum and monetary policy: time-varying parameter estimation of Taylor Rules

In this article, we consider two new independent variables as inputs to the Taylor Rule. These are the equity and housing momentum variables and are introduced to investigate the potential usefulness of these two variables in guiding the Fed to lean against potential bubbles. Such effectiveness cannot adequately be evaluated if the Taylor Rule estimation follows the standard regression methodology that has been criticized in the literature to be econometrically incorrect. Using a time-varying parameter estimation methodology, we find that equity momentum as an input in the Taylor Rule does not contribute to changes in Fed Funds. However, the housing momentum plays an important role econometrically and can be a useful tool in setting Fed Funds rates.     

中国食品市场秩序混乱的成因与对策

中国食品市场秩序混乱的成因有生产者因素、消费者因素、政府监管和食品市场信息不对称等几个方面, 应采取相应的整治对策,如加速生产模式集约化、加强消费者的教育、加强政府监管、充分发挥行业协会的作用、完善有关食品安全的各种法规和技术标准、加大执法力度、降低信息获取成本及建立严格的质量认证体系等,以规范食品市场。