How come?

[cowman]

How come things like electronics, computers, and even food, come down in price? Better product, a lower cost to produce, more competition. Now why is it that John Deere, Case, Monsanto, Dow-Elanco, GMC, Ford, Chrystler etc., just seem to roll along costing more and more every year? It can't be labor...a whole lot of that was replaced by robots! It can't be steel prices...they've been in the tank for years! Is it taxes?...they get a sweetheart deal!
And yet all these companies cry poverty and have the figures to prove it!! I wonder if they are cooking the books?

[rodbradshaw]

They tend to set the price at what the market will bear. They not cooking the books like Enron was, but some are keeping their cash reserves very low so they are not perceived as a take over target.