Which concept involves multiple corporations working together to influence market prices?

The concept of trusts involves multiple corporations collaborating to exert control over a market, often by influencing prices and limiting competition. Trusts typically emerge when firms in the same industry agree to coordinate their policies to create a more favorable market environment for themselves. This collaboration can take various forms, such as setting higher prices or eliminating competition through various means, like mergers.

Trusts were particularly prominent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when industries were rapidly consolidating, and they often resulted in the creation of significant market power that could adversely affect consumers. This arrangement contrasts with conglomerates, which refer to a single corporation operating in multiple industries, and monopolies, where one corporation controls the entire supply of a product or service without competition. Alliances, on the other hand, might imply a partnership or cooperation between companies, but do not necessarily focus on influencing market prices as trusts do.