Skip to main content Skip to main content
Not investment advice. Educational reading. See Disclaimer.
L.2 · BEGINNER · 2 MIN

Elasticity: Why Some Companies Have Pricing Power

Elasticity measures how much buyers change behavior when prices change. Companies with pricing power (inelastic demand) can raise prices without losing customers.

Quiz · 5 questions ↓

Live data

KO — Operating Margin, Net Margin. Open KO on the Ledge to see current values.

Compare

TypePrice Increase EffectExamples
Inelastic (pricing power)Revenue rises (customers stay)Insulin, iPhone, Coca-Cola, Netflix
Elastic (no pricing power)Revenue falls (customers leave)Generic commodities, airlines, fast fashion
Unit elasticRevenue unchangedRare in practice

Key point

Warren Buffett looks for companies that can raise prices without losing customers. That is pricing power, and it is one of the strongest indicators of a durable competitive moat.

Try it

Compare the **gross margins** of KO (Coca-Cola, strong brand) vs a commodity producer. High margins often signal pricing power.

Check-in

A streaming subscription service raises monthly price from $10 to $12 (20% hike). They lose 8% of subscribers within 90 days. What happens to net monthly revenue?

Key insight

Pricing power is the simplest test of business quality. If a company cannot raise prices, it is at the mercy of competition and costs.

Check your understanding

Sit with the ideas.

Luxury watchmaker Rolex raises prices 8% annually and sees no decline in sales. A budget airline raises fares 8% and loses 15% of passengers. Which has more inelastic demand?

Why:
Continue this lesson in the app →See it on a real ticker →