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Showing posts with the label oil prices

Decision Making as Output and Bounded Rationality

  The classical economics theories proceed on the assumption of rational agents. Rationality implies the economic agents undertake actions or exercise choices based on the cost-benefit analysis they undertake. The assumption further posits that there exists no information asymmetry and thus the agent is aware of all the costs and benefits associated with the choice he or she has exercised. The behavioral school contested the decision stating the decisions in practice are often irrational. Implied there is a continuous departure from rationality. Rationality in the views of the behavioral school is more an exception to the norm rather a rule. The past posts have discussed the limitations of this view by the behavioral school. Economics has often posited rationality in the context in which the choices are exercised rather than theoretical abstract view of rational action. Rational action in theory seems to be grounded in zero restraint situation yet in practice, there are numerous restra

Oil Price Conundrum and India

  The fuel prices in India seems to be heading northwards with little signs of reversal. They have touched historical highs in recent times. The cascading effect of fuel price rise on other goods would in all probability ensure inflation is headed northwards. As inflation would breach the 6% benchmark, the outcome would obviously be a tightening of the interest rates. This is something that India would want last thing to happen. As the demand picks up albeit with uncertainty of fresh spurt in COVID cases, there in all likelihood will see an increased demand for fuel. The prices are likely to go up given the cut in production across the Middle East. While India has sought to diversify its oil sources, the region continues to depend heavily on the Middle East. The Saudis and their oil counterpart countries do not seem to be in a mood to increase the production. To add, the crisis in Yemen, an offshoot of which has been constant attack on oil fields in Saudi Arabia and UAE by the Yemeni r