MARKET STRUCTURE AND TRADING VOLUME

Historically, trading volume reported for NASDAQ stocks has been overstated vis‐à‐vis New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stocks, both because of the dealer's participation in trades as a market maker and because of interdealer trading. Beginning in 1997, the Securities and Exchange Commission changed order‐handling rules and trade‐reporting rules, which may have reduced or eliminated the overstatement of NASDAQ trading. We examine trading volumes of firms changing from NASDAQ to the NYSE since 1997 and document that reported trading volume for NASDAQ stocks continues to be overstated. Moreover, the degree of overstatement is much larger for firms with high trading volume.     

A Heteroskedastic Multivariate Tobit Analysis of Price Dynamics in the Presence of Price Floors

This article presents an econometric analysis of the effects of price floors on price dynamics and price volatility in a multimarket context. We investigate the implications of a government price-support program providing a censoring mechanism to the price determination process. The analysis uses a dynamic multivariate Tobit model under time-varying volatility. The model is applied to the U.S. dairy markets with a special focus on the effects of government price-support programs in a period of market liberalization. The econometric analysis provides useful information on the multimarket effects of price supports on price dynamics and price volatility.     

The cross‐Euler equation approach to intertemporal substitution in import demand

This paper addresses the empirical dilemma in identifying and estimating the parameters governing the intertemporal elasticity of substitution (IES) for import demand. We propose a new concept, the cross‐Euler equation, for overcoming this empirical dilemma. IES parameters are estimated by exploiting the cointegrating restriction implied by the cross‐Euler equation. Further, by comparing the IES estimates from the cross‐Euler equation to those from the standard Euler equation, we test the hypothesis whether import demand is affected by nuisance factors. Using the US data, we found imported goods consumption to be robust against nuisance factors, but not for domestic goods. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factors affecting consumer acceptance of chilled ready meals on the island of Ireland

The chilled ready meal market on the island of Ireland is relatively young but is growing rapidly. This paper focused on a consumer questionnaire (n = 702), designed to examine consumer attitudes to and consumption of chilled ready meals, in both the north and south of Ireland. This formed part of a larger study, with the questionnaire findings contributing to an in‐depth sensory study on a selected range of chilled ready meals. For a significant number of Irish consumers, consumption of these products is higher than on the UK mainland. For others, the products are purchased as a convenient alternative or a weekly treat. Respondents in urban locations were significantly more likely to consume chilled ready meals, as were men and younger, single respondents. Irish consumers are becoming more accustomed to ethnic cuisine although traditional meals remain popular. There is a clear need for developers to continue to enhance the sensory quality of these products, particularly as the primary barrier to consumption was a preference for home cooked food. However, they must also strive to maintain consumer interest in the sector, fulfil the desire for convenience and satisfy a more discerning palate.     

Effectiveness of Mediation Strategies in Collective Bargaining

Effectiveness of mediation strategies is analyzed in two different types of collective labor conflicts: rights conflicts and conflicts of interests. The sample consists of 106 professional labor mediators who completed a questionnaire about the strategies they used and the outcomes they achieved in their most recent mediation intervention. Results from regression analysis indicate that while the use of substantive and contextual strategies is positively related to effectiveness in both types of conflict, the use of reflexive strategies is negatively related to effectiveness, particularly in rights conflicts.     

The pattern of non-tariff obstacles to international market access

Zusammenfassung Die Struktur nicht-tarif?rer Handelshemmnisse auf den Zutritt zum Weltmarkt. — Die Diskussionen über internationale Schutzzoll- und Handelspolitik nach der Kennedy-Runde besch?ftigen sich zunehmend mit der Bedeutung der Au\enhandelsverzerrungen, die nicht durch Z?lle verursacht werden. Der vorliegende Aufsatz versucht zwei grundlegende Fragen über die Anwendung nicht-tarif?rer Hemmnisse auf den Au\enhandel mit Fertig- und Halbfertigfabrikaten zu beantworten: I. Bis zu welchem Grad gibt es ?hnlichkeiten oder Un?hnlichlichkeiten in der Struktur oder dem Schema der nicht-tarif?ren Verzerrungen des Au\enhandels in den entwickelten Marktwirtschaften ? 2. Scheinen tarif?re und nichttarif?re Handelshemmnisse sich gegenseitig innerhalb nationaler protektionistischer Systeme zu erg?nzen oder zu ersetzen ? Obwohl die Ergebnisse ihrer Natur nach vorl?ufig sind, f?hren sie doch zu wichtigen Schlu\folgerungen in bezug auf die künftige Gestaltung der internationalen Handelspolitik.

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Résumé La structure des obstacles non-tarifaires à l’accès au marché international. — La discussion de la politique internationale protectionniste et commerciale d’après-Kennedy-Round tourne toujours d’avantage autour du r?le que jouent les distorsions du commerce qui ne proviennent pas des tarifs de douane. Cet article cherche à répondre à deux questions fondamentales qui concernent l’application d’obstacles non-tarifaires au commerce des produits finis et mi-finis: I. Jusqu’à quel point y a-t-il similitude ou dissimilitude dans la structure ou le schéma des distorsions non-tarifaires dans les différents pays à économie libre et développée ? 2. Para?t-il que, dans les systèmes nationaux protectionnistes, les obstacles tarifaires et non-tarifaires se suppléent, ou bien qu’ils se substituent les uns aux autres ? Quoique les résultats soient nécessairement préliminaires, ils permettent quand même quelques conclusions importantes en ce qui concerne le développement futur de la politique commerciale internationale.

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Resumen La estructura de barreras no arancelarias sobre el acceso al mercado mundial. — Las discusiones sobre la política comercial internacional se centra, desde la Ronda Kennedy, de forma creciente en la importancia de distorsiones en el comercio exterior, que no se deben a tarifas aduaneras. El presente artículo trata de contestar dos preguntas fundamentales relacionadas con la aplicación de medidas no arancelarias en el comercio exterior con productos semielaborados y acabados: I _- ^a ? Hasta qué punto existen parecidos o diferencias en la estructura o elesquema de distorsiones en el comercio exterior de economias de mercado desarrolladas, producidos por barreras no arancelarias ? 2 _- ^a ? Se complementan los obstáculos arancelarios y no arancelarios dentro de los sistemas nacionales de protección, o son los unos substituto de los otros ? A pesar de que los resultados de este estudio son provisionales, permiten importantes conclusiones acerca de la estructuración futura de la política comercial internacional.

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Riassunto La struttura di impedimenti commerciali non tariffari sull’accesso al mercato mondiale. — Le discussioni sulla politica protezionistica e commerciale dopo il ?Kennedy-Runde? si occupano in misura crescente del significato delle deformazioni del commercio estero che non sono causate da dazi. Il presente articolo cerca di dare una risposta a due questioni fondamentali sull’applicazione di impedimenti non tariffari sul commercio estero con prodotti finiti o semilavorati: 1. Fino a che grado ci sono somiglianze o dissomiglianze nella struttura o nello schema delle deformazioni non tariffarie del commercio ? 2. Impedimenti commerciali tariffari e non tariffari sembrano completarsi o sostituirsi reciprocamente all’interno di sistemi nazionali protezionistici? Sebbene i risultati della loro natura siano ancora prowisori, essi conducono, però, a importanti conclusioni in rapporto alla futura conformazione della politica commerciale internazionale.