That obscures questionable price increases, she added, and allows businesses to be portrayed as “victims”. Eliminating price increases may have dropped the company’s 2021 quarter four operating profits slightly below the $1.3bn it made in 2020. That includes two rounds of March price increases just weeks after GM announced record profits and margins. “That’s a general trend that can enhance price increases quite dramatically, especially with cars and groceries,” she said. Meanwhile, many consumer advocates and economists argue that enforcing antitrust laws already on the book, or strengthening them, could help reduce companies’ pricing power.

Source: The Guardian April 27, 2022 22:08 UTC