PRICE DISCOVERY IN THE EGG INDUSTRY

Formula pricing of eggs is typically based on quotations issued by Urner Barry Publications, and egg producers worry that the quotes are systematically lower than equilibrium levels. Egg Clearinghouse, Inc. (ECI) provides a public forum for cash trading, intended to facilitate price discovery. Evidence from 1994-95 does not suggest that Urner Barry understands producer level prices on average, Granger causality tests indicate a feedback relationship between the Urner Barry quotes and ECI prices, with ECI leading during price upswings. Lead times appear to have fallen since the late 1970s and early 1980s, confirming earlier predictions regarding market efficiency