IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/quaeco/v92y2023icp230-248.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Attention-driven reaction to extreme earnings surprises

Author

Listed:
  • Reyes, Tomas
  • Batista, Julian A.
  • Chacon, Alvaro
  • Martinez, Diego
  • Kausel, Edgar E.

Abstract

We investigate the relationship between investor attention and stock returns in the context of extreme earnings surprises. We propose a novel mechanism that describes this interaction: high attention to very positive and very negative earnings news results in faster incorporation of information into stock prices, an overreaction effect, and a subsequent partial reversal. We test this mechanism using post-announcement abnormal returns and measure investor attention using internet search volume. We confirm that abnormal attention to earnings announcements is positively related to post-announcement abnormal returns when earnings surprises are very positive and negatively related when earnings surprises are very negative. More importantly, we argue that investors exhibit attention-driven overreactions to these extreme earnings surprises since the initial effects of abnormal attention on abnormal returns are subsequently partially reversed.

Suggested Citation

  • Reyes, Tomas & Batista, Julian A. & Chacon, Alvaro & Martinez, Diego & Kausel, Edgar E., 2023. "Attention-driven reaction to extreme earnings surprises," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 230-248.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:quaeco:v:92:y:2023:i:c:p:230-248
    DOI: 10.1016/j.qref.2023.10.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S106297692300114X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.qref.2023.10.003?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.

    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:quaeco:v:92:y:2023:i:c:p:230-248. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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/inca/620167 .

    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.