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Flight to Earnings: The Role of Earnings in Periods of Capital Scarcity

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  • Nick Guest

    (Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850)

  • S. P. Kothari

    (Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142)

  • Eric So

    (Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142)

Abstract

We examine the link between the scarcity of arbitrage capital and investors’ response to firms’ earnings information. The cost of financing levered investment strategies (i.e., investing with borrowed funds) increases in the risk profile of the securities being traded. As a result, when capital is scarce, levered traders face heightened incentives to tilt their portfolios in the direction of firms’ earnings information as an indicator of lesser risk because doing so mitigates financing constraints. Our results suggest that these investors become more responsive to firms’ earnings announcements when capital is scarce. Moreover, market prices display a stronger reaction to firms’ announcements and less postearnings announcement drift. Together, our findings suggest the scarcity of arbitrage capital spurs both the use of and responsiveness of market prices to firms’ earnings news.

Suggested Citation

  • Nick Guest & S. P. Kothari & Eric So, 2023. "Flight to Earnings: The Role of Earnings in Periods of Capital Scarcity," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(8), pages 4908-4931, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:69:y:2023:i:8:p:4908-4931
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2022.4538
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    1. Dyer, Travis & Guest, Nicholas & Yu, Elisha, 2025. "New accounting standards and the performance of quantitative investors," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(2).

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