Estimation and Comparison of Treasury Auction Formats when Bidders are Asymmetric.

Abstract

The structural parameters of a share-auction model accounting for asymmetry across bidders, as well as supply uncertainty are estimated with a sample of French Treasury auctions. We find evidence of both informational and risk aversion asymmetries between bidders. A counter-factual analysis also suggests that, in the context of the French Treasury auctions, a shift from the discriminatory to the uniform-price format would simultaneously benefit the French Treasury and the auction's participants.