Information-constrained State-dependent Pricing

Information-constrained State-dependent Pricing

Author: Michael Woodford

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 55

ISBN-13:

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I present a generalization of the standard (full-information) model of state-dependent pricing in which decisions about when to review a firm's existing price must be made on the basis of imprecise awareness of current market conditions. The imperfect information is endogenized using a variant of the theory of "rational inattention" proposed by Sims (1998, 2003, 2006). This results in a one-parameter family of models, indexed by the cost of information, which nests both the standard state-dependent pricing model and the Calvo model of price adjustment as limiting cases (corresponding to a zero information cost and an unboundedly large information cost respectively). For intermediate levels of the information cost, the model is equivalent to a "generalized Ss model" with a continuous "adjustment hazard" of the kind proposed by Caballero and Engel (1993a, 1993b), but provides an economic motivation for the hazard function and very specific predictions about its form. For high enough levels of the information cost, the Calvo model of price-setting is found to be a reasonable approximation to the exact equilibrium dynamics, except in the case of (infrequent) large shocks. When the model is calibrated to match the frequency and size distribution of price changes observed in microeconomic data sets, prices are found to be much less flexible than in a full-information state-dependent pricing model, and only about 20 percent more flexible than under a Calvo model with the same average frequency of price adjustment.


Information-constrained State-dependent Pricing

Information-constrained State-dependent Pricing

Author: Michael Woodford

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 55

ISBN-13:

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Abstract: I present a generalization of the standard (full-information) model of state- dependent pricing in which decisions about when to review a firm's existing price must be made on the basis of imprecise awareness of current market conditions. The imperfect information is endogenized using a variant of the theory of "rational inattention" proposed by Sims (1998, 2003, 2006). This results in a one-parameter family of models, indexed by the cost of information, which nests both the standard state-dependent pricing model and the Calvo model of price adjustment as limiting cases (corresponding to a zero information cost and an unboundedly large information cost respectively). For intermediate levels of the information cost, the model is equivalent to a "generalized Ss model" with a continuous \adjustment hazard" of the kind proposed by Caballero and Engel (1993a, 1993b), but provides an economic motivation for the hazard function and very specific predictions about its form. For high enough levels of the information cost, the Calvo model of price-setting is found to be a reasonable approximation to the exact equilibrium dynamics, except in the case of (infrequent) large shocks. When the model is calibrated to match the frequency and size distribution of price changes observed in microeconomic data sets, prices are found to be much less flexible than in a full-information state-dependent pricing model, and only about 20 percent more flexible than under a Calvo model with the same average frequency of price adjustment.


State-dependent Or Time-dependent Pricing

State-dependent Or Time-dependent Pricing

Author: Peter J. Klenow

Publisher: Bank of Canada

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13:

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Inflation equals the product of two terms: an extensive margin (the fraction of items with price changes) and an intensive margin (the average size of those price changes). The variance of inflation over time can be decomposed into contributions from each margin. The extensive margin figures importantly in many state-dependent pricing models, whereas the intensive margin is the sole source of inflation changes in staggered time-dependent pricing models. We use micro data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to decompose the variance of consumer price inflation from 1988 through 2003. We find that around 95% of the variance of monthly inflation stems from fluctuations in the average size of price changes, i.e., the intensive margin. When we calibrate a prominent state-dependent pricing model to match this empirical variance decomposition, the model's shock responses are very close to those in time-dependent pricing models.


The Choice Between State- and Time-Dependent Price Rules

The Choice Between State- and Time-Dependent Price Rules

Author: Klas Fregert

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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Large review costs lead to time-dependent price setting rules. State-dependent rules become more likely when there is an increase in: set-up costs, the variability of the equilibrium price or the efficiency loss associated with being away from equilibrium.


State Dependent Pricing and Business Cycle Asymmetries

State Dependent Pricing and Business Cycle Asymmetries

Author: Michael B. Devereux

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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We present a tractable, dynamic general equilibrium model of state-dependent pricing and study the response of output and prices to monetary policy shocks. We find important nonlinearities in these responses. For empirically relevant shocks, this generates substantially different predictions from time-dependent pricing. We also find a distinct asymmetry with state-dependent pricing: Prices respond more to positive shocks than they do to negative shocks. This is due to a strategic linkage between firms in the incentive for price adjustment. Our state-dependent model can account for business cycle asymmetries in output of the magnitude found in empirical studies.


Time-Dependent Or State-Dependent Price Setting? Micro-Evidence from German Metal-Working Industries

Time-Dependent Or State-Dependent Price Setting? Micro-Evidence from German Metal-Working Industries

Author: Harald Stahl

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13:

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Price setting in German metal-working industries is analysed using a monthly panel of individual price data for more than 2,000 plants covering the period from 1980 to 2001. Motivated by several models in the literature, a duration model is estimated. Price changes can be explained by a combination of state-dependence and time-dependence but time-dependence clearly dominates. Time-dependence is strongest if a price increase follows a price increase. This is typically the case during the observed period. A price increase is most likely to follow a price increase after 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, - quarters. This time-dependent effect is so strong and cost and price increases are so weak in the observed period that adjustment occurs before the sticky price sufficiently deviates from the flexible price, as traditional menu cost models assume. State-dependence seems to be most relevant in periods with decreasing demand. Then prices are reduced and the time between two price reductions only rarely exceeds four months.


Pricing Decisions in the Euro Area

Pricing Decisions in the Euro Area

Author: Silvia Fabiani

Publisher: OUP USA

Published: 2007-06-25

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 0195309286

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This book collects results from ad hoc surveys on firms pricing behavior conducted in 2003 and 2004 by nine National central banks of the Euro area in the context of a joint research project (Eurosystem Inflation Persistence Network). These surveys have proved to be an efficient way to test theories on the pricing strategies of economic agents, documenting, in qualitative terms, the underlying rationale of the observed pricing patterns. The book provides an unprecedented amount of information from more than 11,000 euro area firms, addressing issues such as the relevance of nominal and real rigidities, the information set used by firms in the price setting process, the strategy followed to review prices, the frequency of both price reviews and price changes, the reasons underlying price stickiness, and asymmetries in price adjustment. It also compares results for the euro area to those obtained for other countries by similar studies. Finally, it draws the main implications for theoretical modeling and for monetary policy.


State-dependent Or Time-dependent Pricing?

State-dependent Or Time-dependent Pricing?

Author: Huw Dixon

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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We take a monthly panel of German firms over the period 1980−2017 to examine the relative importance of time and state dependence in the decisions of firms to raise, lower or leave their price constant. In addition, we seek to estimate the relative importance of macroeconomic factors and firm-specific factors within state dependence. While price decreases can be well explained by time dependence alone, price increases are best predicted by the interaction of time-dependent and firm-specific state factors. Whilst on their own macroeconomic variables might seem important, once we add firm-specific variables the effects of macroeconomic variables become much smaller in magnitude. Our empirical results suggest that theoretical models should integrate both time and state dependence rather than developing the approaches separately. We also show that time dependence is better captured if we allow for different hazard functions for price increases and decreases.


State-dependency and Firm-level Optimization

State-dependency and Firm-level Optimization

Author: Peter McAdam

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 30

ISBN-13:

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We implement a tractable state-dependent Calvo price-setting signal dependent on inflation and aggregate competitiveness. This allows us to derive a New Keynesian Phillips Curve (NKPC) expressed in terms of the actual levels of variables - rather than in-deviation from "steady state" form - and thus a specification which is not regime-dependent. A consequence of our approach is that ex-ante all firms face the same optimization problem. This state-dependent NKPC nests the conventional hybrid NKPC form as a special case. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of ourapproach by, first, analyzing the persistence and variability of inflation shocks under different inflation regimes and then comparing our state-dependent and time dependent NKPCs on US data.