infonet-economy

This paper provides evidence that learning about demand is an important driver of firms' dynamics. We present a simple model with Bayesian learning in which firms are uncertain about their idiosyncratic demand parameter in each of the markets they serve, and update their beliefs as noisy information arrives in each period. The model predicts that firms update more their beliefs...

A growing share of the world population is getting access to a formal bank account. This allows a move from cash to account based payments. Grounding our hypothesis in behavioral economics, we conjecture that being paid on an account instead of in cash can play a major role in encouraging savings. When paid on the account, the money is saved by default, while - as long as payments...

In the wake of the Alstom restructuring, the French government indicated that current merger control rules do not allow for the development of European champions and called for a change in the rules. This paper argues that such a move may be not be advisable but that enforcement of the current rules should be improved, in particular regarding the assessment of efficiencies and the...

The real unit labor cost is an important variable in today's debate over competitiveness and labor cost imbalances in the Eurozone. This paper documents the link existing between developments in the labor share and relative monetary policy stance across euro area members. First I present the theoretical foundations of such link using a standard New Keynesian framework, then I...

Die neue Veröffentlichung des CCRS gibt einen Überblick über bewährte und neuere Rendite- und Risikokennzahlen für Immobilien und beurteilt sie aus Nachhaltigkeitssicht. Herausgegeben wird sie gemeinsam mit RICS Switzerland und dem Verband der Immobilieninvestoren sowie Immobilien Basel-Stadt, Migros-Pensionskasse, Liegenschaftenverwaltung Stadt Zürich, SUVA, Swisscanto und Zürcher...

Was sind die Ursachen hoher Preisvolatilität auf den globalen Agrarmärkten? In der öffentlichen Diskussion wird oft die «Finanzialisierung» des Agrarhandels für die stark schwankenden Nahrungsmittelpreise verantwortlich gemacht. Dabei wird übersehen, dass Preisbewegungen primär auf Veränderungen der Verfügbarkeit von global handelbaren Nahrungsmitteln zurückzuführen sind. Diese...

This paper uses cross-country, firm-level, panel data to study how exporters from Low Income Countries (LICs) adjust their prices according to their trade partners’ characteristics. The results show that the free on board (fob) price of exports is differentiated across markets in all countries in the sample. This differentiated pricing is not commonly associated with small economies...