Successful uninformed bidding

This paper provides some striking results that arise in the unique symmetric equilibrium of common value multiunit auction in which some bidders are better informed than others. We show that bidders with worse information can do surprisingly well: They can win with higher probability than better informed bidders, and sometimes, even with higher expected utility. We also find a positive relationship between the success of worse informed bidders and the number of units for sale. Finally we argue that the correct intuitive explanation of these results relies on the balance of the winner’s curse and the loser’s curse effects

SUCCESSFUL UNINFORMED BIDDING

This paper provides some striking results that arise in the unique symmetric equilibrium of common value multiunit auction in which some bidders are better informed than others. We show that bidders with worse information can do surprisingly well: They can win with higher probability than better informed bidders, and sometimes, even with higher expected utility. We also find a positive relationship between the success of worse informed bidders and the number of units for sale. Finally we argue that the correct intuitive explanation of these results relies on the balance of the winner's curse and the loser's curse effects.asymmetric bidders, common value, winner¿s curse, loser¿s curse.

Successful Uninformed Bidding

This paper studies multiunit common value auctions with informed and less informed bidders. We show that bidders with less information can bid very aggressively and do surprisingly well in terms of probability of winning and expected revenue. We also show that the degree of aggressiveness and success of bidders with less information is positively related to the number of units for sale. We explain these phenomena in terms of the balance of the winner's curse and the loser's curse and their differential effect on bidders with different quality of information.

Optimal Privatization Using Qualifying Auctions

This paper explores the use of auctions for privatizing public assets.In our model, a single "insider" bidder (e.g. incumbent management of a government-owned firm) possesses information about the asset's risky value.In addition, bidders are privately informed about their costs of exploiting the asset.Due to the insider's presence, uninformed bidders face a strong winner's curse in standard auctions with devastating consequences for revenues.We show that the optimal mechanism discriminates against the informationally advantaged bidder to ensure truthful information revelation.The optimal mechanism can be implemented via a simple two-stage "qualifying auction."In the first stage of the qualifying auction, non-binding bids are submitted to determine who enters the second stage, which consists of a standard second-price auction augmented with a reserve price.privatization;qualifying auction;winner’s curse;information advantage

The Insider's Curse

This paper studies an auction model in which one of the bidders, the insider, has better information about a common component of the value of the good for sale, than the other bidders, the outsiders. Our main result shows that the insider may have incentives to disclose her private information if she faces sufficiently strong competition from the outsiders. We also show that the insider can protect the value of her private information by hiding her presence in the auction to the outsiders. Finally, we analyze the implications of information revelation on the efficiency of the auction and on the auctioneer's expected revenue

Annual Report 2001-2002

The Institute for Economic Analysis (IAE) is a center of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). The Institute was created in 1985 and is dedicated to the pursuit of academic excellence in Economics. This document presents the Institute’s biennial report for the years 2001 and 2002. The Institute’s activities cover both theoretical and empirical research in various areas, including industrial organization, finance, regional economics, political economics, macroeconomics and growth, public economics, game theory, and experimental economics. The numerous studies undertaken by the Institute’s staff have translated into a large number of publications in international scientific journals and books.N

Optimal Privatization Using Qualifying Auctions

This paper explores the use of auctions for privatizing public assets.In our model, a single "insider" bidder (e.g. incumbent management of a government-owned firm) possesses information about the asset's risky value.In addition, bidders are privately informed about their costs of exploiting the asset.Due to the insider's presence, uninformed bidders face a strong winner's curse in standard auctions with devastating consequences for revenues.We show that the optimal mechanism discriminates against the informationally advantaged bidder to ensure truthful information revelation.The optimal mechanism can be implemented via a simple two-stage "qualifying auction."In the first stage of the qualifying auction, non-binding bids are submitted to determine who enters the second stage, which consists of a standard second-price auction augmented with a reserve price

The Insider's Curse

This paper studies an auction model in which one of the bidders, the insider, has better information about a common component of the value of the good for sale, than the other bidders, the outsiders. Our main result shows that the insider may have incentives to disclose her private information if she faces sufficiently strong competition from the outsiders. We also show that the insider can protect the value of her private information by hiding her presence in the auction to the outsiders. Finally, we analyze the implications of information revelation on the efficiency of the auction and on the auctioneer's expected revenue.auctions, asymmetric information, information disclosure.

THE INSIDER'S CURSE

This paper studies an auction model in which one of the bidders, the insider, has better information about a common component of the value of the good for sale, than the other bidders, the outsiders. Our main result shows that the insider may have incentives to disclose her private information if she faces sufficiently strong competition from the outsiders. We also show that the insider can protect the value of her private information by hiding her presence in the auction to the outsiders. Finally, we analyze the implications of information revelation on the efficiency of the auction and on the auctioneer's expected revenue.auctions, asymmetric information, information disclosure