1.5 Concentration and Market Shares
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Market concentration is a function of the number of firms in a market and their respective market shares. As an aid to the interpretation of market data, the Agency will use the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index ("HHI") of market concentration. The HHI is calculated by summing the squares of the individual market shares of all the participants.(17) Unlike the four-firm concentration ratio, the HHI reflects both the distribution of the market shares of the top four firms and the composition of the market outside the top four firms. It also gives proportionately greater weight to the market shares of the larger firms, in accord with their relative importance in competitive interactions.
The Agency divides the spectrum of market concentration as
measured
by the HHI into three regions that can be broadly characterized as unconcentrated (HHI
below 1000), moderately concentrated (HHI between 1000 and 1800), and highly
concentrated
(HHI above 1800). Although the resulting regions provide a useful framework for merger
analysis, the numerical divisions suggest greater precision than is possible with the
available economic tools and information. Other things being equal, cases falling just
above and just below a threshold present comparable competitive issues.
1.51 General Standards
In evaluating horizontal mergers, the Agency will consider both the post-merger market concentration and the increase in concentration resulting from the merger.(18) Market concentration is a useful indicator of the likely potential competitive effect of a merger. The general standards for horizontal mergers are as follows:
a) Post-Merger HHI Below 1000. The Agency regards markets in this region to be unconcentrated. Mergers resulting in unconcentrated markets are unlikely to have adverse competitive effects and ordinarily require no further analysis.
b) Post-Merger HHI Between 1000 and 1800. The Agency regards markets in this region to be moderately concentrated. Mergers producing an increase in the HHI of less than 100 points in moderately concentrated markets post-merger are unlikely to have adverse competitive consequences and ordinarily require no further analysis. Mergers producing an increase in the HHI of more than 100 points in moderately concentrated markets post-merger potentially raise significant competitive concerns depending on the factors set forth in Sections 2-5 of the Guidelines.
c) Post-Merger HHI Above 1800. The Agency regards markets in this region to be highly concentrated. Mergers producing an increase in the HHI of less than 50 points, even in highly concentrated markets post-merger, are unlikely to have adverse competitive consequences and ordinarily require no further analysis. Mergers producing an increase in the HHI of more than 50 points in highly concentrated markets post-merger potentially raise significant competitive concerns, depending on the factors set forth in Sections 2-5 of the Guidelines. Where the post-merger HHI exceeds 1800, it will be presumed that mergers producing an increase in the HHI of more than 100 points are likely to create or enhance market power or facilitate its exercise. The presumption may be overcome by a showing that factors set forth in Sections 2-5 of the Guidelines make itunlikely that the merger will create or enhance market power or facilitate its exercise, in light of market concentration and market shares.
1.52 Factors Affecting the Significance of Market Shares and Concentration
The post-merger level of market concentration and the change in concentration resulting from a merger affect the degree to which a merger raises competitive concerns. However, in some situations, market share and market concentration data may either understate or overstate the likely future competitive significance of a firm or firms in the market or the impact of a merger. The following are examples of such situations.
1.521 Changing Market Conditions
Market concentration and market share data of necessity are based on historical evidence. However, recent or ongoing changes in the market may indicate that the current market share of a particular firm either understates or overstates the firm's future competitive significance. For example, if a new technology that is important to long-term competitive viability is available to other firms in the market, but is not available to a particular firm, the Agency may conclude that the historical market share of that firm overstates its future competitive significance. The Agency will consider reasonably predictable effects of recent or ongoing changes in market conditions in interpreting market concentration and market share data.
1.522 Degree of Difference Between the Products and Locations in the Market and Substitutes Outside the Market
All else equal, the magnitude of potential competitive harm from a merger is greater if a hypothetical monopolist would raise price within the relevant market by substantially more than a "small but significant and nontransitory" amount. This may occur when the demand substitutes outside the relevant market, as a group, are not close substitutes for the products and locations within the relevant market. There thus may be a wide gap in the chain of demand substitutes at the edge of the product and geographic market. Under such circumstances, more market power is at stake in the relevant market than in a market in which a hypothetical monopolist would raise price by exactly five percent.
17 For example, a market consisting of four firms with market shares
of
30 percent, 30 percent, 20 percent and 20 percent has an HHI of 2600 (302 + 302 + 202
+ 202 = 2600). The HHI ranges from l0,000 (in the
case of
a pure monopoly) to a number approaching zero (in the case of an atomistic market).
Although it is desirable to include all firms in the calculation, lack of information
about small firms is not critical because such firms do not affect the HHI
significantly.
18 The increase in concentration as measured by the HHI can be calculated
independently of the overall market concentration by doubling the product of the market
shares of the merging firms. For example, the merger of firms with shares of 5 percent
and
10 percent of the market would increase the HHI by l00 (5 x l0 x 2 = l00). The
explanation
for this technique is as follows: In calculating the HHI before the merger, the market
shares of the merging firms are squared individually: (a)2
+ (b)2. After the merger, the sum of those shares
would
be squared: (a + b)2 , which equals a2
+ 2ab + b2 . The increase in the HHI therefore is
represented by 2ab.