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This article discusses the importance of pricing decisions for retailers and business owners and the benefits of conducting price testing or A/B testing. The authors share their experience of running over 1,000 price tests across more than 300 e-commerce retailers, which resulted in improved pricing strategies and increased gross profits. The article highlights that retailers often overprice their products but underprice shipping fees. The authors provide concrete examples of price experiments conducted with a direct-to-consumer brand, Sheets & Giggles, and emphasize that price testing is a valuable tool for retailers to generate data and insights to improve pricing decisions. [Extracted from the article]

Procurant, a procurement and food safety solution for retail grocers, has launched a new AI-driven solution called Price Watch. This solution allows buyers to monitor internal buying trends in fresh produce categories and quickly identify pricing trends and exceptional purchase patterns. Price Watch is the first module to leverage AI capabilities within the Procurant platform, using AI techniques to streamline data analysis and identify price variance and irregularities. The platform is widely used by leading grocery brands and produce suppliers in North America. [Extracted from the article]

Implied volatility and implied vol-of-vol are two different sources of risk but the latter has been generally neglected. However, recent studies show the importance of both risk factors for investment strategies. The elasticity of vol-of-vol is focused on in this paper. We propose a revised Heston model reflecting the random nature of vol-of-vol and obtain pricing formulas of variance swaps for simple returns. We use a perturbation technique to transform the problem into a partial differential equation problem and then use the Green function and Fourier transform methods to derive explicitly a quasi-closed form approximation of the fair strike price. Subsequent result shows a comparison with the Heston result and the impact of the stochastic elasticity of vol-of-vol on the variance swap price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike vanilla variance swaps, generalized variance swaps such as gamma, corridor variance and conditional variance swaps are expected to be not free from interest rates because of their weight processes. To examine the impact of stochastic interest rates on the generalized variance swaps, this paper considers discrete sampling times and the Heston stochastic volatility model incorporated by stochastic interest rates driven by the Cox–Ingersoll–Ross process. Based on the explicit calculation of the discounted characteristic function of Duffie et al. (2000), we obtain exact solutions for the fair strike prices of the generalized variance swaps for an affine version of the hybrid model. The solutions are given in closed form expression for the vanilla variance and gamma swaps and in Fourier integral expression for the corridor and conditional variance swaps. We apply the projection techniques of Grzelak and Oosterlee (2011) to the original non-affine model with a generalized correlation structure and obtain affine approximate solutions. We show the effects of stochastic interest rates on the strike prices of the generalized variance swaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the new type of inflation which has come to be referred to in Washington as administrative inflation. Information on reports in the periodicals emphasizing the uncertainty that general credit controls can deal with price rise; Details about the report of the U.S. Senate Antitrust and Monopoly Subcommittee according to which the inflation in wholesale prices has been largely in the concentrated industries; Discussion of three types of inflation and the relation among them; Analysis of the period of inflation following the Second World War and the start of the Korean War; Comparison of price changes from the second quarter of 1957 before the sharp recession began to the second quarter of 1958 when industrial production reached its lowest point.

The article reports on the retail trade of the U.S. It states that due to a late Easter that falls on April 21, 1957, the daily and weekly retail sales showed steady decline. However some believe that the late Easter will dissipate instead of giving more time to loosen up to the consumer. It also discusses the uncertainty of prices and the reaction of consumers.

The article focuses on competitive currency depreciation between Denmark and New Zealand as it relates to the export of butter to England. Statistics related to the butter exports of Denmark and New Zealand are presented, as well as comments regarding the rivalry between the two countries surrounding their principle export. A theoretical analysis of currency depreciation is discussed, including the effects of exchange rates, tariffs enactments and import quotas on international trade. Details related to the pricing trends of butter in London, England are also discussed.

The article discusses some of the probable consequences of a retail sales tax in the U.S. from the standpoint of retail operations. The author provides a theory of use and form for a retail sales tax, showing how it would effect the economy of the U.S. and the retail business. Furthermore, the author outlines specific problems with retailers raising their prices to account for the tax imposed on them. Economists feels that with the new mark-up there will be less consumption of the product which will cause a profit loss for the retailer and even further mark-ups. Several other aspects of retailer prices are examined such as customers' anticipated reactions and mark-downs.

The article discusses methods to boost the profitability of the tannery industry in the U.S. Analysts say U.S. tanneries face problems in the areas of raw materials price fluctuations, diminished demand for leather products, and unfair trade practices. Recommendations include reducing the productive capacity, focusing on the production and sales of finished products, and developing new uses for leather products. Experts say a proper handling of the finished-products market cancels out the importance of price fluctuations on raw materials.

The article discusses several problems affecting the tanning industry in the United States. A brief historical overview of the tanning industry in the United States is presented. The difficulties facing the industry are attributable to the nature of the hide market, the nature of the leather market, and competitive conditions within the industry. These factors result in a non-adjustable supply and demand which is the cause of wide price fluctuations. Rapid price movements, overexpansion of plants and changes in the demand for leather have also resulted in over-capacity and demoralization within the industry.

The article is a case study in the United States concerning the use of co-varying graphic methods in business. The study is focused on the car manufacturer, Waldman Company, which evaluated the potential effectiveness of a price reduction to stimulate sales. Under time constraints, the company's statistician compiled the corporate report based on the relation of net profits to the number of automobiles shipped. A composite plot to evaluate the statistics was constructed and the graphical method using co-varying factors was found to be effective.

The article discusses a 1929 study pertaining to protective hedging in U.S. industry. The study's emphasis was on a U.S. cotton goods manufacturer. Cotton-mill executives hoped to establish whether or not they could remove certain financial risks by hedging on the organized market for future contracts. They had hoped to secure the cotton prices quoted on the days when their orders were processed. The research indicated that it was possible to achieve satisfactory results from a policy of protective hedging if the manufacturer closely examines the futures market and monitors price fluctuations.

The article discusses the reasons for the desire of manufacturers to maintain resale prices on goods and the legal aspects of this practice, taking into consideration the U.S. Supreme Court case the U.S. Federal Trade Commission v. Beech-Nut Packing Co. If a dealer cuts the price on a branded article, then a competitor may refuse to carry the brand and instead create his own brand, which in turn causes the manufacturer to lose sales. Also, price cutting can negatively impact the brand's quality rating in the public eye. The author describes the Beech-Nut case, and its legal implications on price maintenance, and offers solutions to the problems of the manufacturer.

The article outlines the legal and regulatory positions of the U.S. government on pricing behavior, patent protection, advertising policies, and efforts to control or coordinate channels of distribution as of 1969. The U.S. Robinson-Patman Act, as well as Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, states that price discrimination is illegal when it injures competition or competitors at any level of distribution. Among other things, in order to show that a marketer has been guilty of illegal price discrimination, the government, or some plaintiff, must first prove that the goods involved are of "like grade and quality."

This article offers a look at managerial behavior in marketing and pricing decisions. The author suggests that although managers know that price has an influence, many are not aware of how much. Many marketing managers are under the impression that price cuts create profit and price increases lead to loss of profits. The article addresses the reduction of varieties of sensitivity and emotional content and the objective analysis of actual price-demand relationships in making price decisions. The article addresses the formulation of a model about the perfect response to a price differential and factors which make sales insensitive to changes in price. INSET: IN THIS ARTICLE....

Focuses on pricing strategies that companies are using to increase their earnings in the United States. Overview of smart pricing; Advantages and disadvantages of smart pricing; Reasons why Ford Motor Co. is a good testing ground for smart pricing; Negative effects of too much price variance on some industries; Effect of smart pricing strategies on consumers.

The article discusses the concern of consumers in the U.S. on potential price increases which affects their purchase plans despite their improved buying attitude in 1959. It says that although people are financially optimistic, the 1954-1955 shopping spree is not expected to recur. It tells that consumers are also apprehensive on their living expenses aside from the price increases. It adds that consumers think that the period of slow price rises is not the time when it is favorable to buy.

Discusses whether labor unions and employers would gain by returning to the policy of altering the money wage to correspond with changes in the cost of living. Possible consequences if wages do not rise as rapidly as the cost of living during the period of rising prices; Analysis of a situation when inflation proceeds despite every effort made by labor or other stabilizing forces; Uncertainty regarding whether real wages are increasing or not unless one compares changes in money wages with changes in the cost of living.

The article discusses the Producer Price Index (PPI) created by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (LBS) to measure the price changes incurred due to domestic goods. Particular focus is given to the types of PPIs including price change due to goods given on final demand and intermediate demand, commodity categorization based on product similarity, and industry net-output price indexes based on price change from establishments.

Article Article (5 pages) B Over the past year b , supply volatility and price increases have been extremely high across the market. And many suppliers have recently increased their prices, further compounding price pressures. Next, they could build automated and real-time spending analytics, including value-adding dashboards that compare baseline costs with actual costs in FFP contracts, to analyze inflation exposure. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the impact of fuel surcharges in the trucking industry. The author discusses the factors which cause fuel surcharge including the rising of fuel prices and the increasing demand for trucking, and presents the implications of fuel surcharge which may serve bases rate adjustments in the event the demand flactuates. The author also notes the strategies shippers may adopt to address fuel surcharges.

In Nebraska, we typically see a positive basis between local feeder cattle prices and the CME Feeder Cattle contract price. Several enhancements and improvements to the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) insurance program over the last couple of years have made it much more user-friendly for cow-calf producers to purchase price protection for the fall calf crop earlier in the year. [Extracted from the article]

In Nebraska, we typically see a positive basis between local feeder cattle prices and the CME Feeder Cattle contract price. Several enhancements and improvements to the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) insurance program over the last couple of years have made it much more user-friendly for cow-calf producers to purchase price protection for the fall calf crop earlier in the year. [Extracted from the article]

In Nebraska, we typically see a positive basis between local feeder cattle prices and the CME Feeder Cattle contract price. Several enhancements and improvements to the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) insurance program over the last couple of years have made it much more user-friendly for cow-calf producers to purchase price protection for the fall calf crop earlier in the year. [Extracted from the article]

In Nebraska, we typically see a positive basis between local feeder cattle prices and the CME Feeder Cattle contract price. Several enhancements and improvements to the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) insurance program over the last couple of years have made it much more user-friendly for cow-calf producers to purchase price protection for the fall calf crop earlier in the year. [Extracted from the article]

In Nebraska, we typically see a positive basis between local feeder cattle prices and the CME Feeder Cattle contract price. Several enhancements and improvements to the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) insurance program over the last couple of years have made it much more user-friendly for cow-calf producers to purchase price protection for the fall calf crop earlier in the year. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Variance reduction is of highest importance in financial simulation. In this study, we present a new and simple variance reduction technique for pricing discretely monitored lookback and barrier options. It is based on using the corresponding continuously monitored option as external control variate. To obtain the value of the continuously monitored price both, conditional simulation and conditional expectation can be utilized. From numerical experiments we can conclude that the efficiency gains obtained by our new method are significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, We price variance (Theorem 1) and volatility (Theorem 2) swaps for stochastic volatilities driven by serni-Markov processes. We also discuss some extensions of the obtained results such as local scmi- Markov volatility, Dupire formula for the' local semi - Markov volatility and residual risk associated with the swap pricing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents estimates for regional gross value added (GVA) published in December 2009, using the European Union Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (NUTS) regions (please see Box 1 for a detailed explanation of the NUTS regional classification). Data are published at the NUTS1 level for the period 1989 to 2008 and at the NUTS2 and NUTS3 level for the period 1995 to 2007. Data are at current prices, which means that the effects of price inflation and regional price variation are not removed from these data. All comparisons in this article are made between workplace based data for the first year available and for the latest year. Box 2 gives an overview of the methodology used to compile these estimates. This concludes with ONS future plans for regional economic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the detailed report of Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for April 2010. It says that a decrease of 0.1% in the PPI for finished goods was recorded on that month, which followed a decrease of 0.6% in February and 0.7% in March 2010. It states that the index decline can be attributed to the lower prices of energy goods that fell 0.8%. It adds that the PPI for intermediate materials, components, and supplies has increased by 0.8%, its seventh consecutive monthly advance.

The article presents holiday shopping season forecasts. Topics include the buying strategies of consumers including buying items ahead of time to avoid high prices of good due to the increase of demand, and notes the 3.5% increase of shopping activities of consumers for 2016 according to National Retail Foundation. Also presented are the marketing strategies of retail stores to increase its sales during the holiday season are also presented.

Markets where asset prices follow processes with jumps are incomplete and any portfolio hedging against large movements in the price of the underlying asset must include other instruments. The standard approach in literature is to minimize the price variance of the hedging portfolio under a certain choice for the jump size distribution. This paper generalizes the hedging strategy of Kennedy el al. [14] to minimize the weighted variance of hedging portfolio price and Creeks (sensitivities of portfolio values to changes in the state variables or models parameters). The new approach yields improved hedging portfolios over long horizons (i.e., semi-static and static hedging) and for time-varying model parameters (e.g., stochastic volatility or jump arrival rate). From the computational perspective, this paper develops a new Fourier transform-based numerical method for computing the Creeks of European options with arbitrary payoffs by extending the work of Jackson et al. [11]. The new computational method allows to rapidly compute the hedging portfolio weights of the generalized hedging approach. We demonstrate the precision and efficiency of the new numerical scheme and perform a comparative analysis of various hedging approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the price trends of cotton in 2007/08. International cotton prices are quoted in U.S. dollars, therefore, domestic cotton prices are dependent only on the Cotlook A Index and on exchange rates. It notes that world cotton mill use of 26.3 million tons exceeded production of 26.4 million tons which resulted in a slight decline in world cotton stocks. Cotlook A Index is also presented which shows the price variations during 2007/08 season. It also notes that volatility characterized world cotton features and option markets which contributed to a volatile cash market. However, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the U.S. is analyzing ways to improve oversight of the futures market and will bring transparency to types of trades in the marketplace.

The article focuses on the significance of linear regression channels on day traders' analysis of market movements. The channels are ideal for the price exploration process of products through a trio of lines. It inserts a centerline which is the mean, where the upper line is the sell line and the bottom line is its buy line. The price will move around the mean with channels adapting as the price changes.

This article discusses the rapidly increasing prices for modern English ceramics as of April 2006. There are a number of reasons for the rapid price increases for pieces that are often less than a decade old, and the desire to invest in something concrete that can be held, seen, and enjoyed is only one of them. The love affair of the U.S. with English porcelain goes back to the 18th century.

Focuses on the influence of retail store formats on consumers and retail food price variations in the U.S. Determinants of retail food prices; Findings of an "Economic Research Service" investigation on price variations in dairy products by region; Ways in which consumers' purchase behavior can affect the price of foods. INSET: What's in a Name?.

• This paper presents the first analytical pricing formulas for volatility swaps and volatility options with discrete sampling under the standard Black-Scholes (BS) model with time varying risk-free interest rate. • We extend our results to the BS model with time varying parameters and to the Heston stochastic volatility model in which the variance process is assumed to follow the extended Cox-Ingersoll-Ross process by constructing approximate formulas for pricing volatility swaps and demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of this approach by comparing the approximated prices against those obtained with Monte Carlo simulations. This paper presents the first analytical pricing formulas for volatility swaps and volatility options with discrete sampling under the Black-Scholes model with time varying risk-free interest rate. Despite numerous analytical works on the pricing of variance swaps with discrete sampling under different models of asset prices, an analytical pricing formula for volatility swaps as well as volatility options had not been well addressed until now. The main challenge in pricing volatility swaps and volatility options is that payoff functions contain a square root operator, making their expectations nonlinear. By utilizing properties of noncentral chi random variables, we can compute expectations of payoff functions analytically and obtain formulas for pricing volatility swaps and volatility options, including variance swaps and variance options. Furthermore, we investigate the accuracy of the well-known convexity correction formula. Most interestingly, we extend our results to the Black-Scholes model with time varying parameters and to the Heston stochastic volatility model in which the variance process is assumed to follow the extended Cox-Ingersoll-Ross process by constructing simple closed-form approximate formulas for pricing volatility swaps and demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of this approach by comparing the approximated prices against those obtained with Monte Carlo simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on how timing affects the pricing of consumer products and services. Topics discussed include how time affects consumers' perceptions and the pricing of tangible goods, the challenge of reducing the fungibility of goods in a friction-free world, and the perception of goods as the embodiment of time on a production line. Also mentioned are yield management and ways in which manufacturers can keep prices up.

The article focuses on market performance in India for the first two weeks of August 2014. Topics discussed include the losses accompanied by wide ranged fluctuations in intra-day trades, the absence of significant headway since elections, the conclusion that the Modi wave is over, the liquidity crunch now experienced by punters, the reduction of exposure by foreign institutional investors, and the micro factors influencing the market such as crude oil, the steady Rupee and rising exports.

The article presents the IDEX Online Polished Diamond Index, reflecting the sales margin of polished diamonds as of May 2014. Among the key indicators of sales performance include the comparison of diamond prices from April to May in the same year, the price increase on 4-carat goods, and price variability of polished diamond prices based on its sizes.

The article reports of angry incidents growing out of a holding action, a farmers' strike to keep livestock from moving to market, staged by a young but burgeoning group called the U.S. National Farmers Organization (NFO). The NFO is not the only group that is trying to improve the farmer's lot, but it is by far the most militant. Its methods and objectives command fierce loyalty among some farm people, and stir fear and anger in others. Behind the strike and behind the NFO itself is a mood of revolt among many farmers who face the grim threat of being squeezed off their land by weak prices, rising costs and a lack of profit.

The article comments on the increase in prices of daily newspapers in the U.S. The reasons for the decision to increase the price of the "World-Telegram & Sun" are cited. Several newspapers that are planning to increase prices are enumerated. The article also reports on the actions taken by New York newspapers to distract people from television.

The article reports on key issues pertaining to oil-drilling operations in Canada citing price declines as of 1986. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney has announced plans to reduce government restrictions on the country's oil-and-gas industry which indicated signs of a price collapse. Some even predicted negative effects of mergers, bankruptcies and takeovers.

The article focuses on the oil price increases set by the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). It states that OPEC resolved to increase oil prices by 10% effective on October 1, 1975, which is smaller than the 25% that some members had earlier pushed. U.S. Assistant Treasury Secretary Gerald Parsky figures a lower increase of 6.5% to 7.5% over the average price increase by all OPEC members of less than nine percent. It mentions that OPEC countries that were noted of pushing for higher price increases are those who raise their crude price less than the agreed 10%, with Algeria increased its prices only 8.5% and Indonesia with an average price increase of 1.6%. Meanwhile, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia hiked their prices in full 10%.

The article offers information on the price variations for various commodities markets. It states that the Iraq-Iran conflict has affected the worldwide supply of crude oil and petroleum products, reducing its price to 25 dollars a barrel. It mentions that the prices of copper declined after the slowdown in the industrial demand in the U.S. It highlights that the prices for food and feed grain has increased due to erratic climate and drought.

The article focuses on the efforts of the U.S. Council on Wage and Price Stability to address price increases in the steel industry. It relates that the Council has been successful to let United States Steel Corp. (U.S. Steel) cut its present price hikes and pledge publicly to enforce the new ones until July 1975. U.S. President Gerald Ford has expressed his disappointment on the news and doubtful on the justification of price hikes. U.S. Steel board chairman Edgar B. Speer has arrived in Washington to explain the company's 23% increase after receiving the telegram from the Council. Moreover, the initiative of U.S. Steel to reduce the prices has created pressures for other steel companies such as Bethlehem Steel Corp., the second largest steel producer in the U.S., to do the same.