Earnings disaggregation and analysts＇ forecasts

Accounting concepts dictate that separately disclosed components should contain separate useful information. This paper examines the relations between income statement components and analysts＇ earnings forecasts and forecast errors. Regressions explaining earnings forecasts using earnings components provide a better fit than regression using just aggregate income to explain forecasts. We interpret this as consistent with the hypothesis that analysts use incremental information in components not available in aggregate income. However, additional tests based on predictability of forecast errors indicate that analysts do not incorporate all information available in components into earnings forecasts. In addition, this inefficiency appears to increase at longer forecast horizons.

Customer Information Disclosure and Analyst Forecasts : Empirical Evidence from Analysts' Perspective

Based on the company's disclosure of key customer information,the impact of corporate customer concentration on analyst forecast was studied,and we further studied the impact of detailed customer names on analyst forecasts. It is found that:(i) customer concentration significantly affects the accuracy of analyst forecasts. The higher the customer concentration is,the lower the accuracy of analyst forecasts is;(ii) Voluntary disclosure of customer names can provide incremental information to analysts and mitigate the negative impact of customer concentration on the accuracy of analyst forests;(iii) further research has found that the incremental information brought by the state-owned enterprises' disclosure of the customer names to analysts is more obvious; disclosure of customer names by companies with high environmental uncertainty is more likely to be of concern to analysts; and star analysts have a higher ability to interpret customer names than non-star analysts.

Theoretical explanations to security analysts＇ forecast bias

As the representative of mature investors, security analysts＇ recommendations are guidance for most investors, However, a great deal of studies nearly draws the consistent conclusion, i.e. they are not as smart as we imagine, or the market doesn＇t trust their recommendations so much. The existence of optimistic bias in their recommendations has been supported by empirical data widely. Hence these make many papers to explore the reasons and try to give theoretical explanations. Based on prior researches, this paper mainly compares two theoretical models both based on mathematical methods.

Improvements onthe Earnings Forecast Model——Based on Correlation between Financial Ratio, Auditor Opinion and Future Earnings

This paper aims to find evidence for the improvements on the present earnings forecast models through analyzing the correlation among financial ratios, auditor opinion of listed companies and their future earnings. This paper uses two statistical regression methods including Logistic model and Linear model to examine the inner interaction between financial ratios and future earnings from qualitative and quantitative perspectives respectively. Empirical tests find that financial ratios, especially ROE, can help to predict future earnings. Then we add auditor opinion variable into Logistic model to test whether going concern opinion in the auditor reports can be helpful for earnings forecast. Result shows the degree of optimistic statement of going concern opinion is significantly correlated with future earnings but with the disturbance of earnings management.

The effect of earnings forecast precision on firm value and insider trading under voluntary disclosure in Taiwan

Taiwan changed its earnings forecast policy from mandatory to voluntary disclosure in 2005. In this study, the inferences of voluntary earnings forecast are examined based on forecasts issued by listed firms. This study suspects that insiders have a temptation to strategically manipulate financial forecast information to influence markets and thus receive extra rents. Under the new earnings forecast disclosure policy, the number of disclosing firm decreases but the precision of earnings forecast increases. The empirical result from dynamic panel data evidences the forecast error of voluntary disclosure may negatively impact firm values. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between insiders＇ trading profit and manipulation of earnings forecasts. As volatility in insider manipulation increases, it is difficult for the investors to predict the real intention of insiders, and insiders may achieve greater benefits from trading. This study also observes that many listed companies hold investor conferences to provide earnings guidance in Taiwan. The reason may be that investor conference is more flexible and has less forecast error cost than the formal financial forecast. This study provides important insights into earnings forecast policy in emerging markets. The competent authority should improve corporate governance and develop monitoring functions to abate forecast manipulation.

The Efficiency of Markets in Response to Earnings Forecasts: The Case of China

This paper investigates the semi-strong form of efficiency of Chinese stock markets in response to earnings forecast announcement by employing the methodology of event study. The sample period is from January 2009 to January 2018, in total 564 event were examined. The reaction of markets to different types of new announcement is investigated and presented separately. Firstly, examination of positive and negative earnings forecast report shows that information shock brings a significant positive and negative returns during the event window. In addition, analysis of different sub-windows showed prices adjust to news quickly and effectively. However, no news announcements bring no significant shock to market, prices are not impacted by slight change forecasts. In general, empirical results provided evidences of semi-strong market efficiency. Earnings forecast announcements possess huge impact on market prices, therefore participants can make abnormal profit if they act on the information very quickly. However, beyond event window information becomes ineffective and does not possess any kind of content to make above market returns .

New European Union＇s Requirements and IFRS Practice Statement ＂Management Commentary＂： Does MD＆A Disclosure Quality Affect Analysts＇ Forecasts？

The Management Discussion and Analysis （MD＆A） is a mandatory document under the European Union＇s （EU） law. In 2003, the EU issued Directive 2003/51/EC, which broadened the information that firms have to provide in their MD＆A, and in 2010 the International Accounting Standards Board （IASB） issued the International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） Practice Statement ＂Management Commentary＂, a non-binding guidance for the presentation of this document. The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between MD＆A disclosure quality and properties of analysts＇ forecasts. In fact, although most studies found that financial analysts mainly refer to financial statement data in forecasting earnings, there are few researches highlighting the importance of MD＆A disclosures for financial analysts. On this basis, Ramnath, Rock, and Shane （2008） called for researches in order to better understand the relationship between the information really used by analysts and their forecasts. To assess the quality of MD＆A disclosures, we developed a multidimensional measure on the basis of the EU requirements and the IFRS Practice Statement, and then we regressed this variable on both forecast accuracy and dispersion. The findings show that our measure of MD＆A disclosure quality is significantly and positively related to forecast accuracy. We conducted other analyses in order to better understand the previous relationship and we found that, if we analyze the different information contained in the MD＆A statement, financial analysts consider useful accounting and financial data in forecasting earnings. These results enhance our understanding of the role of MD＆A disclosures in the wide set of information that firms provide to financial statement users.

Intangibles and management earnings forecasts

We investigate how the accounting treatment of intangible assets on managers’likelihood of issuing voluntary earnings guidance(MEF).We find that unrecognized intangibles(immediately expensed)are negatively associated with MEF issuance,while recognized intangibles(capitalized)show a positive association.These findings hold across various factors such as analysts’coverage,industry type and for a subsample that excludes software firms permitted to capitalize software development costs under SFAS No.86.In additional,we investigate the cross-sectional determinants of MEF issuance based on the characteristics of firm intangibility.We find a significant increase in the likelihood of MEF issuance for higher unrecognized intangibles with greater earnings uncertainty.This suggests that managers may prioritize delivering valuerelevant information to market participants to alleviate uncertainty.

直面挑战:审计师数字化专长是否有助于提高审计质量?

借鉴审计师行业专长的度量方法,将数字化客户占比较高的审计师定义为数字化专长审计师,并检验在数字化变革过程中,积极参与数字化审计并取得数字化审计经验的审计师是否能够取得更好的审计结果。结果发现数字化审计专长审计师在数字化市场领域能够带来更优的审计质量,并且他们的特殊技能带来的积极作用能够被资本市场的投资者和分析师识别和认可(股价同步性更低且分析师预测更精准)。该结论为在数字化变革中,审计师如何能动应对大样本档案提供了证据,并为实务中事务所发展数字化审计提供了一些启示。

实体企业脱实向虚与分析师盈余预测质量——雾里看花还是甄别有道?

当前,实体经济“脱实向虚”倾向较为明显,立足于监管部门日益重视分析师研报质量的现实背景,选取2007—2019年间我国非金融企业作为研究样本,探究实体企业脱实向虚是否以及如何影响分析师盈余预测质量。研究表明:实体企业脱实向虚显著降低了分析师盈余预测质量;机制检验发现,企业脱实向虚通过降低企业信息透明度进而降低了分析师盈余预测质量;进一步研究表明,良好的公司治理和高质量的外部独立审计能削弱企业脱实向虚对分析师盈余预测质量的负面影响,而机构投资者持股则会强化其负面效应。研究从资本市场信息中介视角丰富了企业脱实向虚的经济后果,对政府监管部门引导企业回归主业及提高资本市场的信息效率具有一定启示作用。

企业竞争战略与管理层策略性业绩:基于管理层业绩预告的分析

从战略管理理论出发研究竞争战略对管理层盈利预测策略的影响。结果表明,采取差异化战略的企业更可能自愿披露盈利预测信息,然而预测偏差较大并更倾向于披露悲观消息。机制检验表明经营风险在差异化战略影响盈利预测中起中介作用。进一步研究发现,在国有企业和金融化程度较强的样本中,差异化竞争战略和盈利预测偏差的关系被显著弱化。

审计师与客户间地理距离对分析师预测的影响研究

区位作为制约信息传递的基础性因素,天然地影响着外部经济主体的信息获取成本及监督成本。审计与客户间地理距离差异如何影响审计监督效力一直颇受学者关注。本文基于2017-2021年事务所至企业注册地的距离数据,实证检验了审计与客户间地理距离差异对分析师预测准确度的影响。结果表明,审计师与客户地理临近能够通过提升审计质量、降低大股东侵占行为来提升分析师预测准确度。该提升效果在两权分离度越严重的样本中更加明显;在被审计单位和事务所交通便利、审计师具有行业专长的样本中,这种提升效果会被削弱。本文的研究从地理经济学视角丰富了审计与客户信息差异的经济后果研究。

关键审计事项风险信息披露与分析师预测

文章以2017—2021年上市公司审计报告为研究对象,通过统计关键审计事项的风险词频探讨风险信息披露对分析师预测的影响。研究发现:关键审计事项风险信息披露降低了分析师的预测偏误和预测分歧度;进一步研究表明,促进公共信息和私有信息的获取以及较高的文本可读性是提高分析师预测质量的主要路径,且有助于修正分析师乐观预测偏差;在内部控制质量、审计质量、机构投资者持股比例、舆论关注度较高的子样本中,关键审计事项风险信息披露对分析师预测质量的改善作用更加明显。研究结论可为完善关键审计事项风险信息披露和传递机制提供实践经验和理论依据。

MD&A纵向文本相似度与分析师盈余预测准确性

注册制下,信息的真实、准确、完整是投资者合理判断证券价值的关键,分析师在信息作用于股价这一过程中扮演着重要的信息中介角色,而年报所披露的信息对分析师盈余预测至关重要。以2012—2021年沪深A股上市公司为样本,探究了管理层讨论与分析(MD&A)纵向文本相似度对分析师盈余预测准确性的影响。研究发现,MD&A纵向文本相似度越高,分析师盈余预测准确性越低,证实了“增量信息”假说。异质性分析表明,这种影响显著存在于规模小、高科技行业、媒体关注度低的公司中,并且公司位于市场化程度低省份时受此影响更大。进一步研究发现,MD&A纵向文本相似度越高,分析师盈余预测的正向偏差越大。此外,分析师盈余预测准确性的下降会进一步降低资本市场的信息效率。因此,上市公司应重视文本信息披露,避免披露内容样板化;分析师和监管部门应加强对上市公司文本信息披露的监督,优化资本市场信息环境。

线上销售能否改善资本市场信息环境——基于分析师盈余预测的证据

基于2015—2019年上市公司通过互联网平台进行线上销售的独特数据,本文研究了线上销售对分析师盈余预测的影响。研究发现:(1)上市公司进行线上销售显著降低了分析师盈余预测误差和分歧度,提升了分析师盈余预测质量,且上述结果在仅保留线上销售行业和PSM匹配后的样本、采用Heckman两阶段模型等方式缓解内生性问题后仍然成立;(2)线上销售对分析师盈余预测质量的提升作用在分析师公开获取信息渠道较少、获取信息成本较高时更为显著;(3)机制检验发现,线上销售可以通过降低盈余波动,或者抑制盈余管理以改善公司盈余信息质量,进而降低分析师盈余预测误差和分歧度。研究结果表明,线上销售不仅增加了分析师获取公司特质信息的来源,而且一定程度上改善了盈余信息质量,有助于分析师发挥资本市场信息中介的重要作用,提高资本市场效率。

连锁股东的协同效应——基于应计盈余管理和真实盈余管理的视角

随着连锁股东在中国资本市场越来越常见,分析连锁股东对企业的影响具有理论价值及现实意义。通过手工整理季度层面十大股东信息,以2007—2020年沪深A股上市公司为样本,从连锁股东的治理协同效应和利益协同效应视角分析其对企业盈余管理的影响。研究结果表明:连锁股东与企业盈余管理的回归系数显著为负,降低了企业应计盈余管理和真实盈余管理的程度。进一步的分析结果表明:连锁股东主要是减少了企业的正向应计盈余管理、异常的酌量性费用和经营活动现金流量;控股股东的身份有助于连锁股东发挥自身的协同效应;连锁股东对受分析师关注较多的企业盈余管理的抑制作用更强。影响机制分析表明,连锁股东通过提高企业治理水平及产品市场势力,降低对管理层的股权激励,进而降低企业盈余管理。

The effect of non-recurring items on analysts' earnings forecasts

This article discusses the effects of non-recurring profits and losses on statement users' decision-making processes from the perspective of securities analysts. We examine the relationship between analysts' forecast revisions and firms' non-recurring earnings. We find that 1) non-recurring gains and losses can influence analysts' earnings forecast revision; 2) compared with nonrecurring items resulting from policy changes, analysts are more concerned about those attributed to changes in business scope; 3) if listed companies use non-recurring items to turn losses into gains during earnings management,it will weaken the effects of non-recurring items on analysts' earnings forecast revision. The results suggest that non-recurring items that result from changes in business scope incorporate information that users need for the future operation of the business. This article verifies the information relevance of nonrecurring items and provides evidence for the necessity of non-recurring item disclosure.

Does an abnormal change in deferred tax assets interfere with analysts' earnings forecasts?

In 2007,China adopted the single balance sheet liability method for tax accounting,but its shortcomings have emerged.I sample A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2018 to study whether an abnormal change in deferred tax assets interferes with analysts’earnings forecasts and find that an abnormal change in deferred tax assets increases the error and divergence of these forecasts.Compared with a negative abnormal change in deferred tax assets,a positive abnormal change has a greater impact on earnings forecasts.Additionally,the level of corporate governance,audit quality and analysts’professional ability have moderating effects on the correlation between an abnormal change in deferred tax assets and earnings forecasts.However,an abnormal change in deferred tax liabilities does not have a significant impact on that correlation.

分行业信息披露能提高业绩预告质量吗?——基于准自然实验的证据

分行业信息披露是注册制下高质量监管的重要内容。本文基于沪深交易所分批次颁布行业信息披露指引这一准自然实验构建双重差分模型,实证分析了行业信息披露义务是否改变了公司的策略性信息披露行为。研究发现,要求上市公司披露行业经营性信息能够提高管理层业绩预告质量,且信息透明度、分析师关注度、法制环境、业绩预告属性和经营风险在分行业信息披露对业绩预告质量的影响中发挥着调节作用。会计稳健性和会计信息可比性是潜在机制。本研究有助于理解以行业为属性的信息披露政策对上市公司业绩预告披露行为的影响,同时对完善我国业绩预告制度也有一定的启发。