The allocation of increased costs isn't as simple as "shareholders make less" or "consumers pay more". It depends on the number of buyers and sellers in that pa

The allocation of increased costs isn't as simple as "shareholders make less" or "consumers pay more". It depends on the number of buyers and sellers in that particular marketplace, with a sliding scale between monopsony and monopoly allocating respectively all the costs to the producer or consumer, combined with the elasticity of supply and demand for the goods and substitutes. For example, in rental markets, it's been shown that tax increases are almost entirely passed on to tenants.