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Firm strategy and market reaction to earnings

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  • Fernando, Guy D.
  • Schneible, Richard A.
  • Tripathy, Arindam

Abstract

We examine whether a firm's strategy affects the information content of the firm's earnings announcement. A cost leadership strategy is characterized by low sales margins coupled with large sales volumes, economies of scale and major investments in plant and physical assets, whereas a differentiation strategy involves high sales margins achieved through product quality and branding realized by investments in intangibles such as R&D and advertising. These characteristics of the strategies result in differential impact on investor reactions to new information that is revealed about firms. Our results show that firms pursuing a cost leadership strategy have earnings announcements that are more commonly interpreted and result in a greater change in the average belief about stock price. On the other hand, earnings announcements of firms pursuing a differentiation strategy result in more heterogeneous interpretation accompanied by a smaller change in the average belief about stock price. This paper advances our understanding of the cross-sectional variation in the market's reaction to earnings announcements. In addition, the paper demonstrates a predictable instance of divergence in the price reaction and trading volume reaction to an earnings announcement.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando, Guy D. & Schneible, Richard A. & Tripathy, Arindam, 2016. "Firm strategy and market reaction to earnings," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 20-34.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:advacc:v:33:y:2016:i:c:p:20-34
    DOI: 10.1016/j.adiac.2016.04.006
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    2. Asdemir, Ozer & Fernando, Guy D & Schneible, Richard A. & Tripathy, Arindam, 2017. "Impact of strategy on analyst information," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 103-110.

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