Monopoly Profit (Supernormal Profits): The Economics of Excess Earnings
Monopoly profit, also known as supernormal profit, refers to the excess earnings made by a firm that has significant market power and faces little or no competition. In contrast to normal profit, which just covers the opportunity costs of production, supernormal profit goes beyond this baseline—indicating that the firm is earning more than what is required to keep its resources in their current use. While supernormal profits can occur in all market structures in the short run, their long-term sustainability is a unique feature of monopolies due to barriers to entry and lack of competition.… Read more