Are prices ‘sticky’ online? Market structure effects and asymmetric responses to cost shocks in online mortgage markets |
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Authors: | Maria Arbatskaya Michael R. Baye |
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Affiliation: | aDepartment of Economics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322-2240, United States;bDepartment of Business Economics and Public Policy, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, 1309 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-1701, United States |
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Abstract: | We analyze daily mortgage rates posted by online lenders at the price comparison site, Microsurf. While cost shocks occurred almost daily in our sample, quoted mortgage rates are surprisingly rigid: Only 16% of the posted rates represent changes. However, firms that adjusted rates in response to cost shocks did so quite rapidly; about 98% of a cost shock was passed through within 2 days of the cost shock. Duration analysis reveals that the observed rigidity in rates systematically depends on market structure: Online mortgage rates are 30% to 40% more durable in concentrated markets than in markets where there are many competitors. We also find that rates posted online tend to exhibit downward stickiness; rate adjustments in response to cost increases are about twice the corresponding adjustments for cost decreases. |
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Keywords: | Mortgage rate Price adjustment Price rigidity Price dispersion |
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