“Symmetric or asymmetric gasoline prices? A metaanalysis approach”

The analysis of price asymmetries in the gasoline market is one of the most studied in the energy economics literature. Nevertheless, the great variability of results makes it very difficult to extract conclusive results on the existence or not of asymmetries. This paper shows through a meta-analysis approach how the industry segment analysed, the quality and quantity of data, the estimator and the model used may explain this heterogeneity of results. We also note how there may be some degree of publication bias in the analysis of asymmetries in the gasoline market, especially contemporaneous impact asymmetries (COI). These results should be considered in future studies on asymmetries in the fuel industry.