A price signal is information conveyed to consumers and producers, via the prices offered or requested for, and the amount requested or offered of a product or service, which provides a signal to increase or decrease quantity supplied or quantity demanded. It also provides potential business opportunities. When a certain kind of product is in shortage supply and the price rises, people will pay more attention to and produce this kind of product. The information carried by prices is an essential function in the fundamental coordination of an economic system, coordinating things such as what has to be produced, how to produce it and what resources to use in its production.
In mainstream (neoclassical) economics, under perfect competition relative prices signal to producers and consumers what production or consumption decisions will contribute to allocative efficiency. According to Friedrich Hayek, in a system in which the knowledge of the relevant facts is dispersed among many people, prices can act to coordinate the separate actions of different people in the same way as subjective values help the individual to coordinate the parts of his plan.
Pricing power
Alternative theories include that prices reflect relative pricing power of producers and consumers. A monopoly may set prices so as to maximize monopoly profit, while a cartel may engage in price fixing. Conversely, on the consumer side, a monopsony may negotiate or demand prices that do not reflect the cost of production. The pricing power owned by an enterprise reflects the position of its products in the market. In this case, the price signal may no longer be able to affect such products.
Value
A long thread in economics (from Aristotle to classical economics to the present) distinguishes between exchange value, use value, price, and (sometimes) intrinsic value. It is frequently argued that the connection between price and other types of value is not as direct as suggested in the theory of price signals, other considerations playing a part.
Speculation
Financial speculation, particularly buying or selling assets with borrowed money, can move prices away from their economic fundamentals. Credit bubbles can sometimes distort the price signal mechanism, causing large-scale malinvestment and financial crises. Adherents of the Austrian school of economics attribute this phenomenon to the interference of central bankers, which they propose to eliminate by introducing full-reserve banking. By contrast, post-Keynesian economists such as Hyman Minsky have described it as a fundamental flaw of capitalism, corrected by financial regulation. Both schools have been the subject of renewed attention in the Western world since the financial crisis of 2007–2010.
Price discrimination
Firms use price discrimination to increase profits by charging different prices to different consumers or groups of consumers. Price discrimination may be regarded as an unfair practice used to drive out competitors.
See also
- Dynamic pricing
- Pricing power
- Speculation
- Supply and demand
Further reading
- Thomsett, Michael C. (2019). Practical Trend Analysis: applying signals and indicators to improve trade timing. Boston: Walter de Gruyter Inc. doi:10.1515/9781547401086. ISBN 978-1-5474-1721-6.
References
- Boudreaux, Donald J. "Information and Prices". The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Library of Economics and Liberty (econlib.org). Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- Hayek, Friedrich (1945). "The use of knowledge in society". American Economic Review. XXXV (4): 519–530. JSTOR 1809376.
- "Cartels". Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- Schroeder, Mark (2016), "Value Theory", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2016 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2020-11-09
- Gopinath, Gita (April 14, 2020). "The Great Lockdown: Worst Economic Downturn Since the Great Depression". International Monetary Fund.
- Dequech, David (2012). "Post Keynesianism, Heterodoxy and Mainstream Economics". Review of Political Economy. 24 (2): 353–368. doi:10.1080/09538259.2012.664364. ISSN 0953-8259.
- Lavoie, Marc (2006), "Post-Keynesian Heterodoxy", Introduction to Post-Keynesian Economics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 1–24, doi:10.1057/9780230626300_1, ISBN 978-1-349-28337-8
- Jonathan Nitzan and Shimshon Bichler, Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder, Routledge, 2009, p. 228.
A price signal is information conveyed to consumers and producers via the prices offered or requested for and the amount requested or offered of a product or service which provides a signal to increase or decrease quantity supplied or quantity demanded It also provides potential business opportunities When a certain kind of product is in shortage supply and the price rises people will pay more attention to and produce this kind of product The information carried by prices is an essential function in the fundamental coordination of an economic system coordinating things such as what has to be produced how to produce it and what resources to use in its production In mainstream neoclassical economics under perfect competition relative prices signal to producers and consumers what production or consumption decisions will contribute to allocative efficiency According to Friedrich Hayek in a system in which the knowledge of the relevant facts is dispersed among many people prices can act to coordinate the separate actions of different people in the same way as subjective values help the individual to coordinate the parts of his plan Pricing powerAlternative theories include that prices reflect relative pricing power of producers and consumers A monopoly may set prices so as to maximize monopoly profit while a cartel may engage in price fixing Conversely on the consumer side a monopsony may negotiate or demand prices that do not reflect the cost of production The pricing power owned by an enterprise reflects the position of its products in the market In this case the price signal may no longer be able to affect such products ValueA long thread in economics from Aristotle to classical economics to the present distinguishes between exchange value use value price and sometimes intrinsic value It is frequently argued that the connection between price and other types of value is not as direct as suggested in the theory of price signals other considerations playing a part SpeculationFinancial speculation particularly buying or selling assets with borrowed money can move prices away from their economic fundamentals Credit bubbles can sometimes distort the price signal mechanism causing large scale malinvestment and financial crises Adherents of the Austrian school of economics attribute this phenomenon to the interference of central bankers which they propose to eliminate by introducing full reserve banking By contrast post Keynesian economists such as Hyman Minsky have described it as a fundamental flaw of capitalism corrected by financial regulation Both schools have been the subject of renewed attention in the Western world since the financial crisis of 2007 2010 Price discriminationFirms use price discrimination to increase profits by charging different prices to different consumers or groups of consumers Price discrimination may be regarded as an unfair practice used to drive out competitors See alsoDynamic pricing Pricing power Speculation Supply and demandFurther readingThomsett Michael C 2019 Practical Trend Analysis applying signals and indicators to improve trade timing Boston Walter de Gruyter Inc doi 10 1515 9781547401086 ISBN 978 1 5474 1721 6 ReferencesBoudreaux Donald J Information and Prices The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics Library of Economics and Liberty econlib org Retrieved 18 June 2017 Hayek Friedrich 1945 The use of knowledge in society American Economic Review XXXV 4 519 530 JSTOR 1809376 Cartels Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2013 01 09 Retrieved 2021 04 25 Schroeder Mark 2016 Value Theory in Zalta Edward N ed The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Fall 2016 ed Metaphysics Research Lab Stanford University retrieved 2020 11 09 Gopinath Gita April 14 2020 The Great Lockdown Worst Economic Downturn Since the Great Depression International Monetary Fund Dequech David 2012 Post Keynesianism Heterodoxy and Mainstream Economics Review of Political Economy 24 2 353 368 doi 10 1080 09538259 2012 664364 ISSN 0953 8259 Lavoie Marc 2006 Post Keynesian Heterodoxy Introduction to Post Keynesian Economics Palgrave Macmillan UK pp 1 24 doi 10 1057 9780230626300 1 ISBN 978 1 349 28337 8 Jonathan Nitzan and Shimshon Bichler Capital as Power A Study of Order and Creorder Routledge 2009 p 228
