Paper #1579

Título:

The effect of horizontal mergers, when firms compete in prices and investments

Autores:

Massimo Motta y Emanuele Tarantino

Fecha:

Agosto 2017

Resumen:

It has been suggested that mergers, by increasing concentration, raise incentives to invest and hence are pro-competitive. To study the effects of mergers, we rewrite a game with simultaneous price and cost-reducing investment choices as one where firms only choose prices, and make use of aggregative game theory. We find no support for that claim: absent efficiency gains, the merger lowers total investments and consumer surplus. Only if it entails sufficient efficiency gains, will it be pro-competitive. We also show there exist classes of models for which the results obtained with cost-reducing investments are equivalent to those with quality-enhancing investments.

Palabras clave:

Horizontal mergers, innovation, investments, network-sharing agreements, competition.

Códigos JEL:

K22, D43, L13, L41

Área de investigación:

Economía de la Empresa y Organización Industrial

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