IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbfina/v36y2012i2p497-508.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Accruals quality and analyst coverage

Author

Listed:
  • Lobo, Gerald J.
  • Song, Minsup
  • Stanford, Mary

Abstract

We provide evidence that analyst coverage increases as accruals quality decreases. This finding is consistent with the services of financial analysts becoming more valuable and in greater demand as accruals provide weaker signals about future cash flows. Further, it is accruals quality associated with innate uncertainty in the firm’s operating environment that attracts analysts even after controlling for operating uncertainty associated with cash flow and stock return volatility. This suggests that low quality accruals provide an opportunity for analysts to benefit from generating private information. Consistent with analysts providing compensating information, we find that forecasts for firms with lower accruals quality contain more private information.

Suggested Citation

  • Lobo, Gerald J. & Song, Minsup & Stanford, Mary, 2012. "Accruals quality and analyst coverage," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 497-508.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:36:y:2012:i:2:p:497-508
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2011.08.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378426611002524
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2011.08.006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Feng Gu & Weimin Wang, 2005. "Intangible Assets, Information Complexity, and Analysts' Earnings Forecasts," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9-10), pages 1673-1702.
    2. Paul M. Healy & Amy P. Hutton & Krishna G. Palepu, 1999. "Stock Performance and Intermediation Changes Surrounding Sustained Increases in Disclosure," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), pages 485-520, September.
    3. Kiridaran Kanagaretnam & Gerald J. Lobo & Dennis J. Whalen, 2005. "Relationship Between Analyst Forecast Properties and Equity Bid-Ask Spreads and Depths Around Quarterly Earnings Announcements," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9-10), pages 1773-1799.
    4. Kee, H. Chung & McInish, Thomas H. & Wood, Robert A. & Wyhowski, Donald J., 1995. "Production of information, information asymmetry, and the bid-ask spread: Empirical evidence from analysts' forecasts," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1025-1046, September.
    5. Ahn, Hee-Joon & Cai, Jun & Hamao, Yasushi & Ho, Richard Y.K., 2005. "Adverse selection, brokerage coverage, and trading activity on the Tokyo Stock Exchange," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 1483-1508, June.
    6. Jones, Jj, 1991. "Earnings Management During Import Relief Investigations," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 193-228.
    7. Mikhail, MB & Walther, BR & Willis, RH, 1997. "Do security analysts improve their performance with experience?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35, pages 131-157.
    8. Michael B. Clement & Senyo Y. Tse, 2005. "Financial Analyst Characteristics and Herding Behavior in Forecasting," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 307-341, February.
    9. Brennan, Michael J & Hughes, Patricia J, 1991. "Stock Prices and the Supply of Information," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 46(5), pages 1665-1691, December.
    10. Kiridaran Kanagaretnam & Gerald J. Lobo & Dennis J. Whalen, 2005. "Relationship Between Analyst Forecast Properties and Equity Bid‐Ask Spreads and Depths Around Quarterly Earnings Announcements," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9‐10), pages 1773-1799, November.
    11. Healy, Paul M. & Palepu, Krishna G., 2001. "Information asymmetry, corporate disclosure, and the capital markets: A review of the empirical disclosure literature," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 405-440, September.
    12. Mary E. Barth & Ron Kasznik & Maureen F. McNichols, 2001. "Analyst Coverage and Intangible Assets," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 1-34, June.
    13. Francis, Jennifer & LaFond, Ryan & Olsson, Per & Schipper, Katherine, 2005. "The market pricing of accruals quality," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 295-327, June.
    14. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    15. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1997. "Industry costs of equity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 153-193, February.
    16. Diamond, Douglas W, 1985. "Optimal Release of Information by Firms," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 40(4), pages 1071-1094, September.
    17. Bhushan, Ravi, 1989. "Firm characteristics and analyst following," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(2-3), pages 255-274, July.
    18. Orie E. Barron & Donal Byard & Charles Kile & Edward J. Riedl, 2002. "High‐Technology Intangibles and Analysts’ Forecasts," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 289-312, May.
    19. Irvine, P. J. A., 2000. "Do analysts generate trade for their firms? Evidence from the Toronto stock exchange," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 209-226, October.
    20. Rick L. Williams, 2000. "A Note on Robust Variance Estimation for Cluster-Correlated Data," Biometrics, The International Biometric Society, vol. 56(2), pages 645-646, June.
    21. Lang, M & Lundholm, R, 1993. "Cross-Sectional Determinants Of Analyst Ratings Of Corporate Disclosures," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 246-271.
    22. Brennan, Michael J. & Subrahmanyam, Avanidhar, 1995. "Investment analysis and price formation in securities markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 361-381, July.
    23. McNichols, M & O'Brien, PC, 1997. "Self-selection and analyst coverage," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35, pages 167-199.
    24. Mark T. Bradshaw & Scott A. Richardson & Richard G. Sloan, 2001. "Do Analysts and Auditors Use Information in Accruals?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 45-74, June.
    25. Yu, Fang (Frank), 2008. "Analyst coverage and earnings management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 245-271, May.
    26. Moyer, R. Charles & Chatfield, Robert E. & Sisneros, Phillip M., 1989. "Security Analyst Monitoring Activity: Agency Costs and Information Demands," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(4), pages 503-512, December.
    27. Doukas, John A. & Kim, Chansog (Francis) & Pantzalis, Christos, 2006. "Divergence of Opinion and Equity Returns," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 41(3), pages 573-606, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Beyer, Anne & Cohen, Daniel A. & Lys, Thomas Z. & Walther, Beverly R., 2010. "The financial reporting environment: Review of the recent literature," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 296-343, December.
    2. Jagjeev Dosanjh, 2017. "Exchange Initiatives and Market Efficiency: Evidence from the Australian Securities Exchange," PhD Thesis, Finance Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, number 1-2017.
    3. repec:uts:finphd:34 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Eugster, Nicolas, 2019. "Family firms and financial analyst activity," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    5. Eugster, Nicolas, 2017. "Family firms and financial analyst activity," FSES Working Papers 491, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Freiburg/Fribourg Switzerland.
    6. Yu, Minna, 2010. "Analyst forecast properties, analyst following and governance disclosures: A global perspective," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 1-15.
    7. Yu, Fang (Frank), 2008. "Analyst coverage and earnings management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 245-271, May.
    8. Erik Devos & Seow Ong & Andrew Spieler, 2007. "Analyst Activity and Firm Value: Evidence from the REIT Sector," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 333-356, October.
    9. John A. Doukas & Chansog (Francis) Kim & Christos Pantzalis, 2008. "Do Analysts Influence Corporate Financing and Investment?," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 37(2), pages 303-339, June.
    10. Van Geyt, Debby & Van Cauwenberge, Philippe & Vander Bauwhede, Heidi, 2014. "Does high-quality corporate communication reduce insider trading profitability?," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-14.
    11. Miran Hossain & Benjamin A. Jansen & Jon Taylor, 2020. "Do Analysts Cater to Investor Information Demand?," Working Papers 202003, Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Economics and Finance.
    12. Chan, Chia Ying & Lo, Huai-Chun & Yang, Ming Jing, 2016. "The revision frequency of earnings forecasts and firm characteristics," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 116-132.
    13. Ramnath, Sundaresh & Rock, Steve & Shane, Philip, 2008. "The financial analyst forecasting literature: A taxonomy with suggestions for further research," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 34-75.
    14. Tsao, Shou-Min & Lu, Hsueh-Tien & Keung, Edmund C., 2016. "Voluntary monthly earnings disclosures and analyst behavior," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 37-49.
    15. Akyol, Ali C. & Qian, Yiming & Yu, Frank, 2023. "How do experienced analysts improve price efficiency?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    16. Jiraporn, Pornsit & Chintrakarn, Pandej & Kim, Young S., 2012. "Analyst following, staggered boards, and managerial entrenchment," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 3091-3100.
    17. Sualihu, Mohammed Aminu & Yawson, Alfred & Yusoff, Iliyas, 2021. "Do analysts’' forecast properties deter suboptimal labor investment decisions? Evidence from Regulation Fair Disclosure," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    18. Anwer S. Ahmed & Minsup Song & Douglas E. Stevens, 2009. "Earnings characteristics and analysts’ differential interpretation of earnings announcements: An empirical analysis," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 49(2), pages 223-246, June.
    19. Oveis Madadian & Walter Aerts & Tom Van Caneghem, 2018. "Social comparison of cost behaviour and financial analysts," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(7), pages 805-839, November.
    20. Jaimin Goh & Jaehong Lee & Wonchang Hur & Yunchang Ju, 2019. "Do Analysts Fully Reflect Information in Patents about Future Earnings?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, May.
    21. Sean Cleary & Jonathan Jona & Gladys Lee & Joshua Shemesh, 2020. "Underlying risk preferences and analyst risk‐taking behavior," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(7-8), pages 949-981, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Analyst coverage; Accruals quality; Information asymmetry; Private information; Operating uncertainty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • G17 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Financial Forecasting and Simulation
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:36:y:2012:i:2:p:497-508. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbf .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.