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Chapter 8

Chapter 8. Profit Maximization and Competitive Supply. Topics to be Discussed. Perfectly Competitive Markets Profit Maximization Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization Choosing Output in the Short-Run. Topics to be Discussed. The Competitive Firm’s Short-Run Supply Curve

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Chapter 8

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  1. Chapter 8 Profit Maximization and Competitive Supply

  2. Topics to be Discussed • Perfectly Competitive Markets • Profit Maximization • Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization • Choosing Output in the Short-Run Chapter 8

  3. Topics to be Discussed • The Competitive Firm’s Short-Run Supply Curve • Short-Run Market Supply • Choosing Output in the Long-Run Chapter 8

  4. Perfectly Competitive Markets • The model of perfect competition can be used to study a variety of markets • Basic assumptions of Perfectly Competitive Markets • Price taking • Product homogeneity • Free entry and exit Chapter 8

  5. Perfectly Competitive Markets • Price Taking • The individual firm sells a very small share of the total market output and, therefore, cannot influence market price. • Each firm takes market price as given – price taker • The individual consumer buys too small a share of industry output to have any impact on market price. Chapter 8

  6. Perfectly Competitive Markets • Product Homogeneity • The products of all firms are perfect substitutes. • Product quality is relatively similar as well as other product characteristics • Agricultural products, oil, copper, iron, lumber • Heterogeneous products, such as brand names, can charge higher prices because they are perceived as better Chapter 8

  7. Perfectly Competitive Markets • Free Entry and Exit • When there are no special costs that make it difficult for a firm to enter (or exit) an industry • Buyers can easily switch from one supplier to another. • Suppliers can easily enter or exit a market. • Pharmaceutical companies not perfectly competitive because of the large costs of R&D required Chapter 8

  8. When are Markets Competitive • Few real products are perfectly competitive • Many markets are, however, highly competitive • No rule of thumb to determine whether a market is close to perfectly competitive Chapter 8

  9. Profit Maximization • Do firms maximize profits? • Managers in firms may be concerned with other objectives • Revenue maximization • Revenue growth • Dividend maximization • Short-run profit maximization (due to bonus or promotion incentive) Chapter 8

  10. Profit Maximization • Implications of non-profit objective • Over the long-run investors would not support the company • Without profits, survival unlikely in competitive industries • Managers have constrained freedom to pursue goals other than long-run profit maximization Chapter 8

  11. Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization • We can study profit maximizing output for any firm whether perfectly competitive or not • Profit () = Total Revenue - Total Cost • If q is output of the firm, then total revenue is price of the good times quantity • Total Revenue (R) = Pq Chapter 8

  12. Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization • Costs of production depends on output • Total Cost (C) = Cq • Profit for the firm, , is difference between revenue and costs Chapter 8

  13. Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization • Firm selects output to maximize the difference between revenue and cost • We can graph the total revenue and total cost curves to show maximizing profits for the firm • Distance between revenues and costs show profits Chapter 8

  14. Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization • Revenue is curved showing that a firm can only sell more if it lowers its price • Slope in revenue curve is the marginal revenue • Slope of total cost curve is marginal cost Chapter 8

  15. Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization • If the producer tries to raise price, sales are zero. • Profit is negative to begin with since revenue is not large enough to cover fixed and variable costs • Profit increases until it is maxed at q* • Profit is maximized where MR = MC or where slopes of the R(q) and C(q) curves are equal Chapter 8

  16. C(q) A R(q) B q* q0 (q) Profit Maximization – Short Run Profits are maximized where MR (slope at A) and MC (slope at B) are equal Cost, Revenue, Profit ($s per year) Profits are maximized where R(q) – C(q) is maximized 0 Output Chapter 8

  17. Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization • Profit is maximized at the point at which an additional increment to output leaves profit unchanged Chapter 8

  18. Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, and Profit Maximization • The Competitive Firm • Price taker – market price and output determined from total market demand and supply • Market output (Q) and firm output (q) • Market demand (D) and firm demand (d) Chapter 8

  19. The Competitive Firm • Demand curve faced by an individual firm is a horizontal line • Firm’s sales have no effect on market price • Demand curve faced by whole market is downward sloping Chapter 8

  20. Price $ per bushel Price $ per bushel S $4 d $4 D Output (bushels) Output (millions of bushels) 100 200 100 The Competitive Firm Firm Industry Chapter 8

  21. The Competitive Firm • The competitive firm’s demand • Individual producer sells all units for $4 regardless of that producer’s level of output. • MR = P with the horizontal demand curve • For a perfectly competitive firm, profit maximizing output occurs when Chapter 8

  22. Choosing Output: Short Run • We will combine revenue and costs with demand to determine profit maximizing output decisions. • In the short run, capital is fixed and firm must choose levels of variable inputs to maximize profits. • We can look at the graph of MR, MC, ATC and AVC to determine profits Chapter 8

  23. Choosing Output: Short Run • The point where MR = MC, the profit maximizing output is chosen • MR=MC at quantity, q*, of 8 • At a quantity less than 8, MR>MC so more profit can be gained by increasing output • At a quantity greater than 8, MC>MR, increasing output will decrease profits Chapter 8

  24. MC Price Lost Profit for q2>q* 50 Lost Profit for q2>q* AR=MR=P 40 ATC AVC 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Output q1 q* q2 A Competitive Firm A q1 : MR > MC q2: MC > MR q0: MC = MR Chapter 8

  25. MC Price 50 A D AR=MR=P 40 ATC AVC 30 C 20 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Output q1 q* q2 A Competitive Firm – Positive Profits Total Profit = ABCD Profits are determinedby output per unit times quantity B Profit per unit = P-AC(q) = A to B Chapter 8

  26. The Competitive Firm • A firm does not have to make profits • It is possible a firm will incur losses if the P < AC for the profit maximizing quantity • Still measured by profit per unit times quantity • Profit per unit is negative (P – AC < 0) Chapter 8

  27. MC ATC B C D P = MR A AVC q* A Competitive Firm – Losses Price At q*: MR = MC and P < ATC Losses = (P- AC) x q* or ABCD Output Chapter 8

  28. Choosing Output in the Short Run • Summary of Production Decisions • Profit is maximized when MC = MR • If P > ATC the firm is making profits. • If P < ATC the firm is making losses Chapter 8

  29. Short Run Production • Why would firm produce at a loss? • Might think price will increase in near future • Shutting down and starting up could be costly • Firm has two choices in short run • Continue producing • Shut down temporarily • Will compare profitability of both choices Chapter 8

  30. Short Run Production • When should the firm shut down? • If AVC < P < ATC, the firm should continue producing in the short run • If AVC > P, the firm should shut-down. • Can not cover even its fixed costs Chapter 8

  31. MC ATC Losses B C D P = MR A AVC F E q* A Competitive Firm – Losses Price • P < ATC but • AVC so firm will continue to produce in short run Output Chapter 8

  32. Competitive Firm – Short Run Supply • Supply curve tells how much output will be produced at different prices • Competitive firms determine quantity to produce where P = MC • Firm shuts down when P < AVC • Competitive firms supply curve is portion of the marginal cost curve above the AVC curve Chapter 8

  33. S ATC P2 AVC P1 P = AVC q1 q2 A Competitive Firm’sShort-Run Supply Curve Price ($ per unit) The firm chooses the output level where P = MR = MC, as long as P > AVC. Supply is MC above AVC MC Output Chapter 8

  34. Short-Run Market Supply Curve • Shows the amount of product the whole market will produce at given prices • Is the sum of all the individual producers in the market • We can show graphically how we can sum the supply curves of individual producers Chapter 8

  35. S MC1 MC2 MC3 P3 P2 P1 2 4 7 8 10 15 21 5 Industry Supply in the Short Run The short-run industry supply curve is the horizontal summation of the supply curves of the firms. $ per unit Q Chapter 8

  36. The Short-Run Market Supply Curve • As price rises, firms expand their production • Increased production leads to increased demand for inputs and could cause increases in input prices • Increases in input prices cause MC curve to rise • This lowers each firm’s output choice • Causes industry supply to be less responsive to change in price than would be otherwise Chapter 8

  37. Elasticity of Market Supply • Elasticity of Market Supply • Measures the sensitivity of industry output to market price • The percentage change in quantity supplied, Q, in response to 1-percent change in price Chapter 8

  38. Elasticity of Market Supply • When MC increase rapidly in response to increases in output, elasticity is low • When MC increase slowly, supply is relatively elastic • Perfectly inelastic short-run supply arises when the industry’s plant and equipment are so fully utilized that new plants must be built to achieve greater output. • Perfectly elastic short-run supply arises when marginal costs are constant. Chapter 8

  39. Producer Surplus in the Short Run • Price is greater than MC on all but the last unit of output. • Therefore, surplus is earned on all but the last unit • The producer surplus is the sum over all units produced of the difference between the market price of the good and the marginal cost of production. • Area above supply to the market price Chapter 8

  40. MC AVC Producer Surplus B A P q* Producer Surplus for a Firm Price ($ per unit of output) At q* MC = MR. Between 0 and q , MR > MC for all units. Producer surplus is area above MC to the price Output Chapter 8

  41. The Short-Run Market Supply Curve • Sum of MC from 0 to q*, it is the sum o the total variable cost of producing q* • Producer Surplus can be defined as difference between the firm’s revenue and it total variable cost • We can show this graphically by the rectangle ABCD • Revenue (0ABq*) minus variable cost (0DCq*) Chapter 8

  42. MC AVC Producer Surplus B A P D C q* Producer Surplus for a Firm Price ($ per unit of output) Producer surplus is also ABCD = Revenue minus variable costs Output Chapter 8

  43. Producer Surplus versus Profit • Profit is revenue minus total cost (not just variable cost) • When fixed cost is positive, producer surplus is greater than profit Chapter 8

  44. Producer Surplus versus Profit • Costs of production determine magnitude of producer surplus • Higher costs firms have less producer surplus • Lower cost firms have more producer surplus • Adding up surplus for all producers in the market given total market producer surplus • Area below market price and above supply curve Chapter 8

  45. S P* Producer Surplus D Q* Producer Surplus for a Market Price ($ per unit of output) Market producer surplus is the difference between P* and S from 0 to Q*. Output Chapter 8

  46. Choosing Output in the Long Run • In short run, one or more inputs are fixed • In the long run, a firm can alter all its inputs, including the size of the plant. • We assume free entry and free exit. Chapter 8

  47. Choosing Output in the Long Run • In the short run a firm faces a horizontal demand curve • The short-run average cost curve (SAC) and short run marginal cost curve (SMC) are low enough for firm to make positive profits (ABCD) • The long run average cost curve (LRAC) • Economies of scale to q2 • Diseconomies of scale after q2 Chapter 8

  48. LMC LAC SMC SAC A D $40 P = MR C B $30 q1 q2 q3 Output Choice in the Long Run Price In the short run, the firm is faced with fixed inputs. P = $40 > ATC. Profit is equal to ABCD. Output Chapter 8

  49. LMC LAC SMC SAC A D $40 P = MR C B G F $30 q1 q2 q3 Output Choice in the Long Run In the long run, the plant size will be increased and output increased to q3. Long-run profit, EFGD > short run profit ABCD. Price Output Chapter 8

  50. Long-Run Competitive Equilibrium • For long run equilibrium, firms must have no desire to enter or leave the industry • We can relative economic profit to the incentive to enter and exit the market • Need to relate accounting profit to economic profit Chapter 8

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