Market Price

The price at which a good or service may currently be purchased or sold. 

Austin Anderson

Reviewed by

Austin Anderson

Expertise: Consulting | Data Analysis

Updated:

August 20, 2022

The price at which a good or service may currently be purchased or sold is known as the market price. The dynamics of supply and demand influence the market value of a good or service. 

Market price

The market price is the cost at which the quantity provided and the amount requested is equal.

It is also employed to determine consumer and economic surplus. Customer surplus, also known as the market value surplus, is the difference between the maximum price a consumer is willing to pay and the actual amount they pay for the commodity.

As a result, changes or shocks in supply and demand can cause market prices for goods and services to be reassessed.

An unexpected occurrence that drastically alters the supply of an item or service is known as a supply shock. Interest rate reductions, tax cuts, terrorist attacks, calamities of the natural world, and stock market collapses are a few instances of a supply shock.

On the other hand, an abrupt change in the demand for an item or service is known as a demand shock. Political unrest, natural disasters, sharp increases in the price of commodities, and technological advancements in the production process are a few instances of a demand shock.

Technology

The market value is distinct from the market's current bids and offers. 

A buyer and a seller must come together at the same value for a trade to occur. Buyers and sellers respectively represent bids and offers. The offer is the lowest price someone advertises they will sell for, whereas the bid is the higher price someone advertises they will purchase for.

Example of Market Price

Consider J.P. Morgan & Chase, which has a $50 bid and a $50.05 offer. Currently, the demand for J.P. Morgan stock is represented by the ten traders who wish to purchase its shares. 

Five traders offer $50 apiece for 100 shares, while other traders offer $49.95. The bid includes a list of these orders.

Market Price

Now the supply of J.P. Morgan shares is represented by ten other traders who desire to sell the stock. Five traders each sell 100 shares for $50.05, while another five dealers each sell 100 shares for $50. These orders are available for purchase.

A new trader joins and wishes to purchase 1000 shares at the going rate. All prices and shares necessary to fulfill the order are at the market value for the shares in this instance. 

This trader is required to purchase the 500 shares at $50.00 and the 500 shares at $50.01. Now that all of the shares offered at $50.00 and $50.01 have been purchased, the spread widens, and the price is $50 by $50.02.

This price represents the market since $50.01 was the latest transacted amount.

The spread could also be closed by other dealers. 

The spread is closed by the bid moving upward since there are more buyers. The outcome, for instance, is a new price of $50.01 by $50.02. The price is constantly adjusted due to this ongoing interaction in both directions.

Connection Between demand and Market Prices

Its fundamental components are the consumer's willingness to pay, capacity to pay or affordability, and desire; the demand for a commodity decreases as its price rises, while demand increases when its price declines.

Demand and market price

1. Costs of Equivalent Commodities (Substitutes)

Suppose the customer receives a comparable utility from substitute items that can be utilized in lieu of one another. In that case, the price of the product being substituted has a direct impact on the demand for the original good. iPhone and Samsung are two examples of alternative product brands.

2. Earning Levels

As consumers' income levels grow, so does their desire for luxury goods. The income effect is therefore viewed as being favorable. When the target market's income levels rise, demand for inferior goods, which are low-quality products, decreases. 

As a result, it is claimed that the income effect is adverse.

3. Cost of Related Items

Products that are combined to fulfill a need are referred to as complementary products. In such a scenario, the price of one product's complementary goods and its demand are inversely connected. A phone and charger, for instance, are complementary items.

Connection Between Supply and Market Prices

The number of units of a commodity that a producer provides for sale at a specific price at a specific time is referred to as the supply. The supply of a product directly affects its price. 

Tax

When a commodity's price grows, so does its supply, and vice versa when its price decreases. 

1. Costs of Equivalent Commodities

A commodity's availability and its substitutes' cost are negatively correlated. The supply of a replacement good decreases as its worth increases. It is because the manufacturers are tempted to spend their resources to make that replacement.

2. Costs of Input Elements

The price of the inputs needed to produce a commodity has an inverse relationship with the supply of that item. The marginal cost rises as the price of inputs does as well. It lowers the manufacturers' profit margin, which results in a reduction in supply.

3. Production Technology

The industry's manufacturing technology directly impacts the supply of a commodity. The marginal cost decreases as industrial technology advances. It boosts producer profitability or profit margins, which causes supply to expand.

4. Production Taxes

Taxes imposed on a commodity's production have an adverse impact on the supply of that commodity. Tax hikes raise the marginal cost, which raises with them. Because of this, producers' profit margins decline, which lowers supply.

Price Appreciation and Depreciation

An asset's value or price increases due to various market variables or appreciation. The most prevalent assets that increase in value over time are those that can be converted into cash, including bonds, property, and stocks. 

Additionally, intangible assets can rise in value, such as the trademark value of a corporation rising as a result of increased brand awareness.

When an asset is recorded in a company's account book, its initial value is adjusted as part of the appreciation process. Therefore, a large return on an asset is possible since when an item increases, it earns more than you paid for it.

Several things can lead to appreciation, including a rise in demand for the asset, a decline in the availability of the asset (supply), inflation, and changes to the interest rate.

On the other hand, when the value or price of an asset declines, depreciation occurs. Its primary foundation is the decline in value of a tangible item over the course of its useful life (or how long you can use it).

Depreciation may also be considered the percentage of an asset's worth that has been used.

You can stretch the expense of an item across its useful life by understanding depreciation and knowing how to calculate it. 

This enables businesses to accurately estimate the revenue potential of an asset and calculate its cost. You can also adjust the operating earnings and cash flow in your accounting records.

The monetary transmission channel known as the asset price channel is in charge of distributing the effects brought about by the central bank of a nation's monetary policy choices that impact asset values.

This impact on asset values will have an impact on the economy as well.

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Researched and authored by Chadi Kattoua l LinkedIn

Reviewed and Edited by Sakshi Uradi | LinkedIn

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