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The market’s use of supplier earnings information to value customers

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  • John Eshleman
  • Peng Guo

Abstract

In this paper we examine whether the quarterly earnings announcements of supplier firms contain information about their customer’s earnings. Our evidence suggests that they do. Specifically, we find evidence consistent with the market impounding supplier firm earnings information into the stock prices of the firm’s customers. This is consistent with the market using the supplier’s earnings to help assess the customer firm’s future cash flows and/or uncertainty of those cash flows. We also find that the quality of the earnings influences the magnitude of the customer firm’s stock price reaction. The customer’s stock price reaction is increasing in the revenue growth reported by the supplier and the past persistence of the supplier’s earnings. Additional tests reveal that the market reaction is amplified when the customer firm is more dependent on the supplier. Finally, we find that the relative bargaining power of the customer influences the market reaction to supplier earnings. While prior research has documented that the market uses industry peer earnings and customer earnings in pricing a firm’s stock, this is the first study to provide evidence on the market’s use of supplier earnings information. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • John Eshleman & Peng Guo, 2014. "The market’s use of supplier earnings information to value customers," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 405-422, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:43:y:2014:i:2:p:405-422
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-013-0379-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hsin-Yi Yu & Li-Wen Chen, 2017. "Ambiguous Customer Identity Disclosure and the Cost of Equity Capital," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(03), pages 1-29, September.
    2. Tiantian Gu & Anand Venkateswaran, 2018. "Firm-supplier relations and managerial compensation," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 621-649, October.
    3. Richard Cazier & Rosemond Desir & Ray J. Pfeiffer & Lumina Albert, 2020. "Intra-industry information transfer effects of leading firms’ earnings narratives," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 29-49, January.
    4. Yetaotao Qiu & Michel Magnan & Shafu Zhang, 2023. "Competitive threat and strategic disclosure during the IPO quiet period," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 375-416, January.
    5. Wu-Lung Li & Kenneth Zheng, 2015. "Information Transfers from Management Earnings Forecasts: Irrational Underreaction and Subsequent Correction," Accounting and Finance Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 4(4), pages 1-69, November.
    6. Roy Cerqueti & Francesca Pampurini & Annagiulia Pezzola & Anna Grazia Quaranta, 2022. "Dangerous liasons and hot customers for banks," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 65-89, July.
    7. Tsung-Kang Chen & Hsien-Hsing Liao, 2018. "Suppliers’/customers’ production efficiency uncertainty and firm credit risk," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 519-560, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Supply chain; Information transfer; Customers; Suppliers; Market reaction; D80; G10; M41;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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