ISSN:
1432-0479
Keywords:
D82
;
D83
;
D40
;
C61
;
L16
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Economics
Notes:
Summary This paper provides a theory of intertemporal pricing in a small market with differential information about the realizations of a stochastic process which determines demand. We study the sequential equilibria in stationary strategies of the stochastic game between a seller and buyer. The seller has zero cost of producing one unit of a non-durable good in all market periods. The buyer's value for the good is a random variable governed by a simple Markov process. At the beginning of each period the unit's value is determined by nature and is privately revealed to the buyer. The seller posts a single price offer each period, which the buyer either accepts or rejects. Only two types of price paths emerge in equilibrium: either prices are constant, or they have persistent cycles between a low and a high value. In both cases, however, prices are “sticky” in the sense that changes in price are less frequent than changes in the economy's fundamentals.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01211814
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