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Horizontal Mergers in a Dynamic Cournot Market: Solving the Free Riding Issue Without Efficiency Gains

Author

Listed:
  • Escrihuela-Villar Marc

    (Universitat de Les Illes Balears, Carretera de Valldemossa km 7.5, Palma07122, Spain)

  • Ferrarese Walter

    (Department of Economics and Finance, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Columbia 2, 00133Roma, Italy)

Abstract
We discuss horizontal mergers in a linear, homogeneous, symmetric Cournot market where the new entity repeatedly competes with outside firms over an indefinite horizon and efficiency gains are ruled out. If the degree of collusion among the outside firms is large enough, then, despite the large payoff of each outsider, we obtain output configurations solving both the profitability and the free riding issues. Such a result requires that mergers involve a sufficiently small number of firms, which is in sharp contrast with the findings in the literature and rationalize the empirical fact that relatively small mergers, even in absence of synergies, do actually occur and that, although outside firms may benefit from the merger of their rivals, insiders end up being better off. Finally, we show that merging can often be a more advantageous alternative than a fully collusive agreement, in which, moreover, the free riding component is not solved.

Suggested Citation

  • Escrihuela-Villar Marc & Ferrarese Walter, 2019. "Horizontal Mergers in a Dynamic Cournot Market: Solving the Free Riding Issue Without Efficiency Gains," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(4), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:19:y:2019:i:4:p:14:n:6
    DOI: 10.1515/bejeap-2018-0321
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Schmal W. Benedikt, 2023. "Downstream Profit Effects of Horizontal Mergers: Horn & Wolinsky and von Ungern-Sternberg Revisited," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 23(4), pages 981-1000, October.
    2. Walter Ferrarese, 2021. "Merger Waves Through Market Leadership," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 7(3), pages 371-385, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    horizontal mergers; repeated interaction; free riding issue;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • C73 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Stochastic and Dynamic Games; Evolutionary Games

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