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Are Analysts’ Recommendations for Other Investment Banks Biased?

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  • Erik Devos

Abstract

type="main"> This paper provides evidence of a “Potential conflict of interest by equity analysts” who issue recommendations for investment banks that are related to their own bank through syndication. Analysts issue significantly more optimistic recommendations for investment banks with which their bank is syndicated. Recommending banks upgrade their recommendations just before a relation is initiated, suggesting that they use analyst optimism as a means of currying favor with the syndicate lead in hopes of being invited to join. It also appears that as part of a quid pro quo of sorts, relatively optimistic recommendations are rewarded with more syndicate appointments in the year after the recommendations.

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  • Erik Devos, 2014. "Are Analysts’ Recommendations for Other Investment Banks Biased?," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 43(2), pages 327-353, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:finmgt:v:43:y:2014:i:2:p:327-353
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/fima.12031
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    5. Huang, Haozhi & Li, Mingsheng & Shi, Jing, 2016. "Which matters: “Paying to play” or stable business relationship? Evidence on analyst recommendation and mutual fund commission fee payment," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 40(PB), pages 403-423.

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