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Finance and Economics Discussion Series
The Finance and Economics Discussion Series logo links to FEDS home page Asymmetric Adjustments of Price and Output
P.A. Tinsley and Reva Krieger
1997-31


Abstract: Asymmetries in price adjustment can reconcile contrasts between rapid price movements in inflationary episodes, consistent with classical theories of flexible pricing, and sluggish price responses in contractions, consistent with Keynesian theories of sticky price adjustments. Nonparametric analysis of SIC two-digit industry data indicates that negative asymmetries are more pronounced for real outputs than for nominal outputs, suggesting reversed positive asymmetries in producer pricing. Pricing decision rules are estimated to distinguish between asymmetries in conditioning shocks and asymmetries in producer responses. Two rational motives for asymmetric pricing are supported.

Keywords: Asymmetric trend deviations, rational error correction, producer pricing

Full paper (268 KB PDF) | Full paper (309 KB Postscript)


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Last update: August 4, 1997