SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices

 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: i-node who wrote (228517)4/9/2005 9:22:35 PM
From: neolib  Read Replies (1) of 1578511
 
I gave you an example refuting your logic that as long as gross margin was staying about constant, "obscene profits" or collusion must not be occurring. Gross margins can stay approximately flat while allowing profits to double. That's all I was trying to show.

I'm quite pro free markets, and in the long run, we have not shown any better system AFAIK. But this in no way negates the fact that other factors can have very large, even dominant effects in the short term. The case you list is a classic example because there is a significant time lag as well as a large capital expense in bring significant refining capacity on line. It's precisely this lag in the system that allows speculation to impact short term dynamics spectacularly. Ask yourself what the price of oil and gas would be today if all it took was $ to bring additional supplies to market instantaneously. That would be more a pure market situation. Dollars flowing freely on both sides of the equation. Please note that the fact that one can play commodities either long or short and for various timelines does not in anyway eliminate the lag in bringing new capacity online, or the effect that has on price dynamics.
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext