Investor sentiment and timely loss recognition

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of investor sentiment on timely loss recognition by examining a sample of firms for the period 1988-2015. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the accruals-based model of Ball and Shivakumar (2005) and a sentiment measure in their primary analysis. Supporting analyses include an extension of Simpson (2013) using an abnormal accruals analysis with subsamples of firms with bad news, the use of a Khan and Watts (2009) quarter firm-level measure of conservatism and an investigation of the monitoring role played by financial analysts. Findings The study finds that managers strategically report more losses in high sentiment periods than in low sentiment periods. This loss timing behavior results in an average 37.8 per cent increase in the acceleration of loss recognition. This study additionally finds a negative correlation between investor sentiment and abnormal accruals when managers are reporting bad news, and that a greater number of financial analysts following a firm curtails managers’ acceleration of loss recognition in high sentiment periods. Originality/value This study contributes to the corporate disclosure literature by showing that managers strategically recognize losses, and such behavior is more prevalent in high sentiment periods. Managers take advantage of prevailing investor sentiment to accelerate losses in high sentiment periods to mitigate market penalties from reporting bad news.