Mergers and market power: evidence from rivals' responses in European markets

A-Tier
Journal: RAND Journal of Economics
Year: 2022
Volume: 53
Issue: 4
Pages: 678-702

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We analyze the effects of M&A on the markups of non‐merging rival firms across a broad set of industries. We exploit expert market definitions from the European Commission's merger decisions to identify relevant competitors in narrowly defined product markets and estimate markups as a measure of market power. Our results indicate that rivals increase their markups after mergers. Consistent with increases in market power, the effects are particularly pronounced when pre‐merger concentration is high, when competitors are few, and when relevant markets are national. Merger rivals also reduce their employment, sales, and investment, whereas their profits increase.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:bla:randje:v:53:y:2022:i:4:p:678-702
Journal Field
Industrial Organization
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29