Analyst Following Research Articles

Influence of Corporate Information Transparency on Foreign Institutional Investors' Shareholding Behavior: Evidence from Public Listed Companies in China

In 2003, China implemented the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) system, which has garnered considerable interest from international institutional investors in the mainland market. As global investors, QFIIs depend significantly on precise, thorough information to bolster their investing criteria. Consequently, the transparency of corporate information becomes a crucial factor for QFIIs. However, due to the relatively late development of the Chinese market, an imbalanced structure of listed companies and information asymmetry, the information disclosure of listed companies has been subject to certain degrees of distortion. Therefore, to better facilitate the development of China's securities market and to help QFIIs fully realize their advanced value investment strategies, this paper aims to study the impact of corporate information transparency on the stockholding behavior of foreign institutional investors. This paper begins by reviewing the literature on the factors influencing institutional investor holdings, corporate transparency, and the characteristics of foreign institutional investors' stockholding. It then defines the concepts of corporate information transparency and foreign institutional investors, analyzes the current state of information transparency in Chinese listed companies, and examines the development of the QFII system in China. The theoretical framework explores the mechanisms through which corporate information transparency influences the stockholding behavior of foreign institutional investors. In the empirical analysis, the paper plans to measure the information transparency of listed companies from three perspectives: earnings quality, information ratings by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and the number of analyst followings, to investigate how corporate information transparency influences QFII stockholding behavior.

Does brand capital improve stock liquidity? Evidence from China

AbstractThis study investigates how brand capital affects stock market liquidity. We posit that brand capital improves the corporate information environment, enhances competitiveness, and increases firm visibility ultimately resulting in higher stock liquidity. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms, we find a positive relationship between brand capital and stock liquidity. Further analyses show that the effect of brand capital is more pronounced for firms with low media coverage and analyst following. Moreover, the effect of brand capital on stock liquidity is significant for non‐state‐owned enterprises. Our mechanism analyses also confirm that brand capital plays an informational role by effectively mitigating information asymmetry and adverse selection, leading to higher stock liquidity. Our study provides the first evidence of the nexus between brand capital and stock liquidity and extends the literature on the capital market implications of brand capital.

The influence of uncertainty on financial reporting behavior: The case of P&C insurers

AbstractWe examine how uncertainty about a firm's future cash flows influences the quality of its accounting information. As uncertainty increases, information asymmetry between managers and stakeholders will almost certainly increase, amplifying the potential influence of uncertainty. We focus on a specific setting where severe levels of uncertainty can influence financial reporting, the property‐casualty (P&C) insurance industry and use catastrophes as a shock to the level of uncertainty regarding P&C insurer's future cash flows. We use P&C firms’ claim loss estimation errors as a proxy for accounting information quality. Results suggest that, in times of heightened uncertainty, managers respond by increasing accounting information quality. Moreover, managerial claim loss forecasts are more accurate for publicly traded P&C firms relative to privately—or mutually—owned P&C firms as catastrophe exposure increases. Additionally, claim loss estimates are incrementally more accurate in times of heightened uncertainty for public P&C firms with higher institutional ownership or analyst following. These results corroborate the conjecture that managers’ decisions to provide more accurate forecasts in times of heightened uncertainty are attributable to an increased demand for better information by external stakeholders.

Board demographic, structural diversity, and eco‐innovation: International evidence

AbstractResearch question/issueWe examine whether and how board diversity, measured by demographics (i.e., board gender, cultural diversity, tenure, social capital, expertise, and age) and structural diversity (i.e., board independence, size, board seat accumulation‐chair, board compensation, and board meeting frequency), influence corporate eco‐innovation.Research findings/insightsUtilizing a global sample of publicly listed companies for the period 2004–2019, we find that a one‐standard deviation increase in demographic and structural diversity translates into 4.66% and 7.11% higher corporate eco‐innovation, respectively. Furthermore, we discover that demographic and structural diversity promotes eco‐innovation by offsetting the negative effects of political risk. In an additional analysis, we find evidence that, in the absence of greater external monitoring (institutional investors and analyst following), organizations benefit more from the monitoring role of board diversity.Theoretical/academic implicationsBy adopting the concept of “bundling the governance mechanisms,” our study adds to the ongoing discourse about the function of board diversity in addressing corporate climate footprints by offering original evidence that board diversity heterogeneity—demographic and structural diversity—matters for corporate eco‐innovation.Practitioner/policy implicationsGiven the increasing pressure on companies to manage their environmental impacts and carbon footprints, our paper has significant ramifications for those involved in promoting eco‐innovative business practices, such as policymakers, regulators, and practitioners.

How does carbon regulatory policy affect debt financing costs? Empirical evidence from China

This study aimed to examine the effect of Chinese carbon regulatory policy on the debt financing costs of carbon-intensive corporations. We use a large sample covering the years between 2005 and 2018. The results of the difference-in-differences approach show that creditors increased debt financing costs for carbon-intensive corporations considerably due to the low-carbon policy, hence decreasing these corporations' profitability and value. Additional analyses show that the dynamic policy effect gradually increased from 2010 on and weakened later in 2015 owing to China's economic slowdown and the local stock market crash. The impacts of low-carbon policies on corporate debt financing costs are more pronounced for state-owned corporations and those with low analyst followings. Our findings provide corporations and governments with crucial insights into mitigating climate transition risk.

Attention allocation and return comovement when trading on smartphones: evidence from China

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the impact of smartphone trading on investor attention allocation. We find a positive connection between smartphone trading ratio and return comovement. Smartphone traders relatively pay less attention to firm-specific information and more to information at the market level than computer-based traders. The impact of smartphone trading is positively correlated to the Internet searching level but negatively correlated to social media discussion intensity and analyst following. We also show that market boom and crush would increase the effect of smartphone trading on attention allocation.

Keeping up with the CSR Joneses: The impact of industry peers on focal firms’ CSR performance

Using US-listed firms from 2000 to 2015 as a sample, we report a strong enhancing effect of industry peers’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance on focal firms’ CSR performance. Firms improve their CSR performance by ~10.15% standard deviation when other peer firms in the same industry increase their CSR by one standard deviation. Moreover, this peer effect is more substantial when the peer firms are closer to focal firms, are included in SP500 index, and have a relatively larger size than focal firms. Focal firms are less likely to follow industry peers if they are industry leaders, have stronger earnings capacity, occupy foreign business and receive fewer analyst followings. Finally, firms following industry peers’ CSR policies achieve less product market shares and poorer performance, but a higher firm value. We suggest that executives should not blindly follow peer firms’ suit and strategically invest in CSR to achieve higher competitiveness.

The impact of corporate social responsibility on corporate financialization

We examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate financialization. Corporate financialization refers to the phenomenon where managers divert corporate resources from the core business to financial assets. Using a sample of Chinese firms between 2010 and 2018, we find that firms with better CSR scores have higher levels of corporate financialization. This result remains valid after a series of tests for robustness and endogeneity issues, suggesting a casual effect of CSR on corporate financialization. We also find that this effect is mitigated in private firms and firms with better internal control, higher management shareholding, and more financial analyst followings. We further explore the economic channel through which CSR promotes corporate financialization and find that CSR relieves financial constraints and enables firms to invest more in financial assets. Finally, we show that both CSR and financialization have significantly negative impacts on firm value.

Role of Analyst Following in the Relationship between Integrated Reporting Quality (IRQ) Disclosure and Cost of Equity Capital in Developed Markets

The study aims to examine the role of analyst following (AF) in the relationship between IR quality (IRQ) disclosures and implied cost of equity capital (ICC) in the developed market in Australia and New Zealand. The study also examined whether companies with higher-quality integrated reporting (IR) benefit from the cost of equity capital reduction. The main objective is to identify the role of AF in explaining the relationship between IRQ disclosure and ICC. Besides, the study highlighted the average effects of IR benefits, which increase when there is more information asymmetry between firms and investors. Furthermore, IR could play a bigger role (with greater information asymmetry) than cross-sectional tests. The study used a common sample of 100 top companies based on Standard and Poor's market capitalisation in Australia and New Zealand (2014-2016), with 870 observations of post-implementation IR. This study showed a significant, negative relationship between IRQ and the ICC with top companies in Australia and New Zealand. Also, the results showed that AF is a partial mediator in explaining the relationship between IRQ and the cost of equity capital. The findings also indicated that AF has a vital role in IRQ disclosures, associated with a subsequent reduction in the cost of equity capital in the developed market.

Financial derivatives, analyst forecasts, and stock price synchronicity: Evidence from an emerging market

Against the backdrop of the role of financial derivatives in the recent financial crisis, this paper aims to identify the effects of financial derivative usage on the amount of firm-specific information incorporated into stock prices, as measured by stock price synchronicity (SPS), using an emerging market from 2009 to 2019. We find strong evidence consistent with this information asymmetry view. Specifically, our results exhibit that financial derivative usage deters firm-specific information into stock prices, thus increasing SPS. Further analyses indicate that financial derivative usage indirectly affects SPS via analyst forecasts (i.e., analyst forecast accuracy, analyst forecast dispersion, analyst forecast optimism, and analyst following). In addition, our results imply that both the economic complexity and accounting complexity of financial derivatives affect SPS positively. The results are robust to a batch of robustness tests. The findings not only add to the literature on financial derivative usage and SPS but also have policymaking implications for the emerging market.

Absence of Controlling Shareholders and Litigation Risk: Evidence from China

ABSTRACT Using 2003–2018 data from China, this study analyzes the effect of absence of controlling shareholders on litigation risk. The results show that companies without controlling owners face higher litigation risk, an association that exists mainly in respondent companies. Upon further analysis, we find that this negative effect is more pronounced when the ownership is highly dispersed, and less pronounced for companies with greater analyst followings. This study enriches litigation risk literature from the perspective of absence of controlling shareholders, and enlightens other related studies that focus on emerging economies.

Customer concentration and analyst following: Evidence from China

This study explores the influence of customer concentration on analyst following based on Chinese listed companies. Companies with higher customer concentrations have lower degrees of analyst following. The suppression effect of customer concentration on analyst following is more significant in industries with fierce competition. In companies with a longer accounts payable turnover cycle, the suppression effect of customer concentration on analyst following is more significant. Overall, our results suggest that the concentration of a supplier's customers greatly influences the corresponding behavior of analysts.

Corporate Twitter use and cost of equity capital

This paper investigates whether firms that communicate information on social media have a lower cost of equity capital. Using a hand-collected dataset comprising the full universe of all firms listed on the NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ since the inception of Twitter, I show that firms that use Twitter have a lower cost of equity capital. Furthermore, firms that face the greatest information asymmetries; namely, smaller companies, companies with few analyst followings, and companies with the least institutional holdings, benefit particularly from tweeting financial information. For identification, I employ a difference-in-difference analysis based on the staggered adoption of Twitter, and a propensity score match (PSM) of tweeting and non-tweeting firms.

On the value relevance of information on environmental and social activities and performance – Some evidence from the UK stock market

Motivated by the requirements of the UK Companies Act 2006 for a Strategic Report introduced in late 2013, and the subsequent Directive 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, we investigate the relationship between the levels of disclosures on environmental and social activities and performance (analyst following) and subsequent analyst following (subsequent levels of disclosures on environmental and social activities and performance). We do so to investigate the value relevance of information about environmental and social activities and performance. Our evidence is consistent with their value relevance and an associated demand for, or general interest in, such disclosures from informed market participants. We also argue that our results suggest positive links between analyst following and the quality of environmental and social disclosure.

The link between Internet investor relations and information asymmetry

Background: Information asymmetry manifests when one party has more or better information than the other. Information asymmetry is said not only to increase transaction costs and decrease liquidity, but also to diminish the quality of the investment decisions taken by investors, thus weakening the overall functioning of markets. Aim and setting: A well-developed Internet investor relations (IIR) strategy, coupled with increased disclosure levels, should theoretically decrease information asymmetry levels. The majority of related studies to date used either an indirect disclosure proxy or involved an examination of the annual report, and have used data from United States or European companies. Empirical studies to date have produced mixed results. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether a relationship exists between the quality of IIR (via corporate websites) and information asymmetry. Method: This study used data from Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)-listed companies. Multiple regression analysis was applied with information asymmetry as dependent variable and IIR as one of a set of selected explanatory variables. A self-constructed measurement instrument was used to measure IIR for a sample of 85 companies. Given the inherent difficulty with direct observation of information asymmetry, three different proxies were used to estimate information asymmetry. Results: A significant negative association was found between IIR and information asymmetry for all three information asymmetry proxies that were used: bid-ask spread, price impact, and analyst following. Conclusion: Empirical support is provided for the notion that companies may potentially benefit from a well-developed IIR strategy through reduced information asymmetry.

Analyst ratings for firms filing for and reorganizing under Chapter 11

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine analyst followings of firms starting from one year prior to their filing for Chapter 11 and as the firms progress through bankruptcy proceedings with a focus on firms receiving “Hold” or better recommendations. The authors attempt to answer questions such as what the common characteristics of the firms receiving stronger than expected recommendations one year prior to filing for bankruptcy reorganization or while in bankruptcy are, and how the market reacts to the issuance of stronger ratings for those firms.Design/methodology/approachThe authors design various regressions and apply them to a total of 2,754 sell-side analyst recommendations and 325 firms that are either approaching bankruptcy filing or in the process of reorganizing. In each analysis, the authors control for several firm and performance characteristics.FindingsThe authors find that the probability of securing stronger ratings is higher for small firms and for those followed by a greater number of analysts than for large firms and firms followed by fewer analysts. The market becomes more skeptical of optimistic evaluations closer to the date of bankruptcy filing (perhaps reflecting some anticipation) and reacts more positively to rating upgrades issued during bankruptcy protection than to the upgrades issued before the bankruptcy filing.Research limitations/implicationsThe conclusions are based on the analysis of analyst recommendations issued shortly before Chapter 11 filings and during bankruptcy proceedings. The conclusions could be strengthened by further analysis of firms’ post-bankruptcy recovery and performance and examination of analyst recommendations issued for the firms after they emerge from Chapter 11..Practical implicationsAnalyst security ratings that are more positive than expected are perhaps the result of superior expertise and access to private information. During bankruptcy proceedings, when information disclosure is limited, investors could greatly benefit from reports issued by security analysts.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature in a number of ways. First, the authors contribute to the literature on the analyst ratings of firms in distress by considering the period between bankruptcy filing and emergence, while the existing literature provides analysis of pre-bankruptcy recommendations and forecasts. Second, the authors focus on better than expected ratings rather than all types of ratings as the firms approach bankruptcy filings and proceed through reorganization. Finally, they evaluate how investors react to stronger than expected analyst ratings.

Does Accounting Conservatism Mitigate the Shortcomings of CEO Overconfidence?

ABSTRACT Overconfident CEOs are more willing to initiate investment projects that require experimentation, yet tend to defer responding to the bad news when the project is not performing as planned. Accounting conservatism accelerates the recognition of the bad news and its dissemination to gatekeepers, making it more likely that the CEO will acknowledge the problem earlier and start searching for solutions. Therefore, firms where both characteristics—CEO overconfidence and accounting conservatism—are present should perform better. Our empirical tests confirm this prediction: firms that practice conservative accounting and are run by overconfident CEOs exhibit better cash flow performance. Our results continue to hold in a variety of settings, including market reactions to acquisitions, cash flow downside risk, and analyst following. Further, the joint positive effect of CEO overconfidence and accounting conservatism on firm performance is stronger in high-uncertainty environments and in firms facing less stringent financing constraints, consistent with theoretical predictions.

Corporate Twitter Use and Cost of Capital

This paper investigates whether firms that disclose information on social media achieve a lower cost of equity capital. Using a hand-collected dataset comprising the full universe of all firms listed on the NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ, I show that firms that use Twitter have a lower cost of equity capital. Furthermore, firms that face the greatest information asymmetries; namely, smaller companies, companies with few analyst followings, and companies with the least institutional holdings, benefit particularly from tweeting financial information about their firm.

An exploration of the online investor relations (IR) practices of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)

Prior research has found that having better investor relations (IR) practices contributes towards improved share prices, liquidity of shares and analyst following. The main aim of this study was to determine the extent to which JSE-listed companies comply with international best practice guidelines for IR practices via the company’s website. A secondary objective was to arrive at an opinion regarding the stage of internet adoption for IR practices in which JSE-listed companies find themselves, based on Hedlin’s (1999) three-stage model. A checklist of 201 items was used to assess the websites of 205 JSE-listed companies from the beginning of July to mid-September 2012. The average online IR score for all 205 companies was found to be disappointing, although the top 100 companies in South Africa performed better than companies in other emerging and developing economies, but worse than companies in advanced economies, where size is probably the main differentiator. Bandwidth is also a constraining factor for online IR quality in South Africa. We conclude that instead of moving towards stage III (HTML, video and audio) of Hedlin’s model (1999), JSE listed companies still seem to find themselves in stage II (paper-equivalent PDF’s). This should concern Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), as effective and efficient communication with investors could contribute towards attaining optimal share prices and improved liquidity and analyst following.

An exploration of the online investor relations (IR) practices of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)

Prior research has found that having better investor relations (IR) practices contributes towards improved share prices, liquidity of shares and analyst following. The main aim of this study was to determine the extent to which JSE-listed companies comply with international best practice guidelines for IR practices via the company’s website. A secondary objective was to arrive at an opinion regarding the stage of internet adoption for IR practices in which JSE-listed companies find themselves, based on Hedlin’s (1999) three-stage model. A checklist of 201 items was used to assess the websites of 205 JSE-listed companies from the beginning of July to mid-September 2012. The average online IR score for all 205 companies was found to be disappointing, although the top 100 companies in South Africa performed better than companies in other emerging and developing economies, but worse than companies in advanced economies, where size is probably the main differentiator. Bandwidth is also a constraining factor for online IR quality in South Africa. We conclude that instead of moving towards stage III (HTML, video and audio) of Hedlin’s model (1999), JSE listed companies still seem to find themselves in stage II (paper-equivalent PDF’s). This should concern Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), as effective and efficient communication with investors could contribute towards attaining optimal share prices and improved liquidity and analyst following.