IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-01724243.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The profitability of financial analysts' recommendations: evidence from an emerging market

Author

Listed:
  • Raphaëlle Bellando

    (LEO - Laboratoire d'Économie d'Orleans [UMR7322] - UO - Université d'Orléans - UT - Université de Tours - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Zahra Ben Braham

    (UCAR - Université de Carthage (Tunisie))

  • Sébastien Galanti

    (LEO - Laboratoire d'Économie d'Orleans [UMR7322] - UO - Université d'Orléans - UT - Université de Tours - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This article aims at measuring recommendation value on the Tunisian market and uses a database of 6646 recommendations (2005-2009). We apply the methodology of calendar-time portfolio analysis. This consists in simulating a portfolio that would include stocks depending on the recommendations issued. In order to measure abnormal (or "excess") returns, the raw return of the portfolio is then compared to the evolution of the stock index and to the prediction of the Capital Asset Pricing Model. Portfolios following buy recommendations have raw monthly returns around 2% to 3%, but their excess return is not statistically different from zero. The portfolios following sell recommendations have a positive raw return but a significant negative excess return, which is explained mainly by the strong uprising trend of the Tunisian market on the sample period. Furthermore, although portfolios that follow upgraded recommendation have a positive raw return, the abnormal returns of upgrade or downgrade portfolios are not significantly different from zero. We build long-short portfolios, some of which earn a positive significant excess risk-adjusted return of 1.19% per month. Finally, the fact that "sell" signals are largely more informative than "buy" signals suggests that the market trend on a five years scale probably influences the ability of analysts to pick stocks that evolves reversely from the trend

Suggested Citation

  • Raphaëlle Bellando & Zahra Ben Braham & Sébastien Galanti, 2016. "The profitability of financial analysts' recommendations: evidence from an emerging market," Post-Print hal-01724243, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01724243
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2016.1158918
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
    1. Check below whether another version of this item is available online.
    2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
    3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be available.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jan Bartholdy & Dennis Olson & Paula Peare, 2007. "Conducting Event Studies on a Small Stock Exchange," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 227-252.
    2. Womack, Kent L, 1996. "Do Brokerage Analysts' Recommendations Have Investment Value?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(1), pages 137-167, March.
    3. Green, T. Clifton, 2006. "The Value of Client Access to Analyst Recommendations," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 41(1), pages 1-24, March.
    4. Obrien, Pc & Bhushan, R, 1990. "Analyst Following And Institutional Ownership," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28, pages 55-76.
    5. Jegadeesh, Narasimhan & Kim, Woojin, 2006. "Value of analyst recommendations: International evidence," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 274-309, August.
    6. Barber, Brad M. & Lehavy, Reuven & Trueman, Brett, 2007. "Comparing the stock recommendation performance of investment banks and independent research firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 490-517, August.
    7. Sorescu, Sorin & Subrahmanyam, Avanidhar, 2006. "The Cross Section of Analyst Recommendations," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 41(1), pages 139-168, March.
    8. La Porta, Rafael, 1996. "Expectations and the Cross-Section of Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(5), pages 1715-1742, December.
    9. Hall, Jason L. & Tacon, Paul B., 2010. "Forecast accuracy and stock recommendations," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 18-33.
    10. AltInkIlIç, Oya & Hansen, Robert S., 2009. "On the information role of stock recommendation revisions," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 17-36, October.
    11. Michaely, Roni & Womack, Kent L, 1999. "Conflict of Interest and the Credibility of Underwriter Analyst Recommendations," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 12(4), pages 653-686.
    12. Beneish, Messod D, 1991. "Stock Prices and the Dissemination of Analysts' Recommendations," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(3), pages 393-416, July.
    13. Jegadeesh, Narasimhan & Titman, Sheridan, 1993. "Returns to Buying Winners and Selling Losers: Implications for Stock Market Efficiency," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 48(1), pages 65-91, March.
    14. Fama, Eugene F & French, Kenneth R, 1992. "The Cross-Section of Expected Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(2), pages 427-465, June.
    15. Huang, Joshua & Mujtaba Mian, G. & Sankaraguruswamy, Srinivasan, 2009. "The value of combining the information content of analyst recommendations and target prices," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 754-777, November.
    16. Terence Lim, 2001. "Rationality and Analysts' Forecast Bias," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(1), pages 369-385, February.
    17. Moshirian, Fariborz & Ng, David & Wu, Eliza, 2009. "The value of stock analysts' recommendations: Evidence from emerging markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 18(1-2), pages 74-83, March.
    18. Paul Ryan & Richard J. Taffler, 2004. "Are Economically Significant Stock Returns and Trading Volumes Driven by Firm‐specific News Releases?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1‐2), pages 49-82, January.
    19. Paul Ryan & Richard J. Taffler, 2004. "Are Economically Significant Stock Returns and Trading Volumes Driven by Firm-specific News Releases?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1-2), pages 49-82.
    20. Narasimhan Jegadeesh & Joonghyuk Kim & Susan D. Krische & Charles M. C. Lee, 2004. "Analyzing the Analysts: When Do Recommendations Add Value?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 59(3), pages 1083-1124, June.
    21. 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.
    22. Brad Barber & Reuven Lehavy & Maureen McNichols & Brett Trueman, 2001. "Can Investors Profit from the Prophets? Security Analyst Recommendations and Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(2), pages 531-563, April.
    23. Stickel, Scott E, 1992. "Reputation and Performance among Security Analysts," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(5), pages 1811-1836, December.
    24. Zahra Ben Braham & Sébastien Galanti, 2014. "Recommendation Value on an Emerging Market: the Impact of Analyst' Recommendations on Stock Prices and Trading Volumes in Tunisia," Working Papers halshs-01015380, HAL.
    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. Raphaëlle Bellando & Zahra Ben Braham & Sébastien Galanti, 2014. "The Performance of Portfolios Based on Analysts' Recommendations: the Tunisian Case," Working Papers hal-01405332, HAL.
    2. Zahra Ben Braham & Sébastien Galanti, 2014. "Recommendation Value on an Emerging Market: the Impact of Analyst' Recommendations on Stock Prices and Trading Volumes in Tunisia," Working Papers halshs-01015380, HAL.
    3. Sébastien GALANTI & Zahra BEN BRAHAM, 2013. "Recommendation Value on an Emerging Market: the Impact of Financial Analysts Recommendations on Stock Price and Trading Volume in Tunisia," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 1393, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.
    4. Lin, Mei-Chen, 2023. "Analyst coverage and the idiosyncratic skewness effect in the Taiwan stock market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    5. Altınkılıç, Oya & Hansen, Robert S. & Ye, Liyu, 2016. "Can analysts pick stocks for the long-run?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(2), pages 371-398.
    6. Lily Fang & Ayako Yasuda, 2014. "Are Stars’ Opinions Worth More? The Relation Between Analyst Reputation and Recommendation Values," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 46(3), pages 235-269, December.
    7. 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.
    8. Oya Altınkılıç & Vadim S. Balashov & Robert S. Hansen, 2013. "Are Analysts' Forecasts Informative to the General Public?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(11), pages 2550-2565, November.
    9. Marina Balboa & J. Carlos Gómez‐Sala & Germán López‐Espinosa, 2009. "The Value of Adjusting the Bias in Recommendations: International Evidence," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 15(1), pages 208-230, January.
    10. Savor, Pavel G., 2012. "Stock returns after major price shocks: The impact of information," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(3), pages 635-659.
    11. Moshirian, Fariborz & Ng, David & Wu, Eliza, 2009. "The value of stock analysts' recommendations: Evidence from emerging markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 18(1-2), pages 74-83, March.
    12. AltInkIlIç, Oya & Hansen, Robert S., 2009. "On the information role of stock recommendation revisions," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 17-36, October.
    13. William Baker & Gregory Dumont, 2014. "Equity Analyst Recommendations: A Case for Affirmative Disclosure?," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 96-123, March.
    14. Chen Su, 2023. "The price impact of analyst revisions and the state of the economy: Evidence around the world," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 58(4), pages 887-930, November.
    15. Thabang Mokoaleli-Mokoteli & Richard J. Taffler & Vineet Agarwal, 2009. "Behavioural Bias and Conflicts of Interest in Analyst Stock Recommendations," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3-4), pages 384-418.
    16. Jeffrey Hobbs & Vivek Singh, 2015. "A comparison of buy‐side and sell‐side analysts," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(1), pages 42-51, January.
    17. Chan, Howard W.H. & Brown, Rob & Ho, Yew Kee, 2006. "Initiation of brokers' recommendations, market predictors and stock returns," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 213-231, July.
    18. Hobbs, Jeffrey & Singh, Vivek, 2015. "A comparison of buy-side and sell-side analysts," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 42-51.
    19. Jiang, George J. & Lu, Liangliang & Zhu, Dongming, 2014. "The information content of analyst recommendation revisions — Evidence from the Chinese stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 1-17.
    20. Juyoun Ryoo & Cheolwoo Lee & Jin Q Jeon, 2020. "Sustainability of Analyst Recommendations in Multiple Lead Underwriter IPOs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-36, March.

    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:hal:journl:hal-01724243. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.