Proxy For Information Asymmetry Research Articles

Capital Market Consequences of Information about Individual Auditors

Synopsis The research problem This study examines the capital market consequences of the voluntary disclosure of individual auditor information. Specifically, we examined whether and how the disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is associated with information asymmetry and investors’ responses to earnings. Motivation Regulators have recently started to focus on disclosing auditor information beyond their names such as in China, where it is increasingly important in practice. Although prior studies have demonstrated benefits associated with the mandatory disclosure of partners’ names, there is relatively little evidence of the usefulness of additional information about individual auditors that could be provided voluntarily. This study sheds light on the economic consequences of disclosing detailed information about individual auditors and extends the voluntary disclosure literature. The test hypotheses We tested the following hypotheses in this study: (a) voluntary disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is associated with lower information asymmetry and (b) voluntary disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is not associated with investors’ reactions to corporate earnings announcements. Target population Stakeholders of listed companies and audit firms, including company managers, investors, and accounting regulators. Adopted methodology Ordinary least squares regressions, archival data, interviews, and machine learning methods to obtain initial data. Analyses We first crawled the annual audit reports of listed companies in China and used machine learning methods to capture voluntary disclosure of auditor qualification certificates. In a sample of more than 14,000 Chinese company-years from 2012 to 2018, we identified 10.5% of the observations voluntarily disclosing auditor qualification certificates. We used the bid-ask spread as the proxy of information asymmetry, and the earnings response coefficient refers to the coefficient on unexpected earnings to the cumulative abnormal returns. Findings We found that the voluntary disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is associated with lower information asymmetry and stronger market reaction to earnings announcements. The main results hold through various robustness tests. Cross-sectional analyses show that this association is less pronounced when a company employs a larger audit firm or has higher analyst coverage. Further, the specific information conveyed by the auditor qualification certificate, such as the auditor’s facial trustworthiness, helps explain the economic consequences associated with voluntary auditor qualification certificate disclosure. Moreover, an initial disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is associated with greater effects.

Market Timing and Asymmetric Information: How do Rights Issues and Private Placements Attract Investors to Overvalued Stocks?

Manuscript type: Research paper Research aims: This study examines the background of selecting the equity offering mechanism between rights issues and private placements when facing asymmetric information and overvalued prices. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research employs the concept of information asymmetry and focuses on analysing market timing data about stock offering transactions in Indonesia from 2000 to 2020. This study uses regression analysis to examine the correlation between information asymmetry and trade volume. Abnormal trade volume before various offerings is subjected to regression analysis using generally used proxies for information asymmetry. Research findings: The conclusions of our research indicate that companies that issue more shares than the overpriced stock tend to exhibit a more excellent abnormal return value in the context of rights issues. The sales volume indicates the company’s prospects derived from private information obtained during the offering Theoretical contribution/Originality: There is a shortage of existing literature about research that specifically investigates the identification of SEO techniques that elicit negative market responses. Consequently, this study explores the connection between the underlying motivations driving the selection of stock offering mechanisms. Practitioner/Policy implication: The distribution of profits in the transaction indicates the company’s future policies. Before investing, investors can acquire pertinent information on the company’s current state, strategic goals, and prospects. Research limitation: The present analysis has not considered the factors of internal ownership or insider trading. These factors might serve as a foundation for investigating the underlying incentives for issuing shares with more precise market timing considerations.

Effects of board characteristics on information asymmetry: Evidence from the alternative investment market

This study aimed to investigate the effect of board characteristics on information asymmetry as well as examining whether the disclosure environment moderates the association between board structure and the information asymmetry of listed firms in the UK. We primarily focus on six characteristics of board composition (board size, board independence, board financial expertise, board busyness, CEO duality, and board gender diversity) and their impact on the bid–ask spread (employed as a proxy of information asymmetry). This study used the ordinary least squares (OLS) model to examine these associations. Moreover, we used system GMM and lag estimation models to test for endogeneity problems. Using a sample of 5950 observations representing the non-financial firms listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) for 10 years from 2010 to 2019, we found a negative and significant relationship between board size; board independence; and female directors and information asymmetry. However, board busyness and CEO duality are positively related to information asymmetry. Furthermore, we demonstrate that information disclosure moderates the relationship between board characteristics and information asymmetry; that is, board size, independent directors, and female directors mitigate information asymmetry by improving the level of information disclosure. By contrast, busy directors and CEO duality increase the problem of information asymmetry by reducing firms’ information disclosure. The results of this study have implications for UK regulators, firm boards of directors, and firm stakeholders.

Does information asymmetry predict audit fees?

AbstractThis study investigates whether and how information asymmetry in the stock market affects the quantum of audit fees paid by auditees. It is based on a sample of 218 US publicly traded companies and adopts two well‐established proxies for information asymmetry, namely bid‐ask spread (BAS) and probability of informed trading (PIN). Empirical results provide evidence that, after controlling for all main audit fees determinants, information asymmetry is positively related to the quantum of audit fees paid. Overall, evidence supports the contention that less transparent companies convey higher audit risk, and therefore auditors require higher compensation.

Non-GAAP reporting and capital markets: contrasting France and Canada

PurposeThis study aims to assess if the voluntary reporting of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), a widely used non-generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) measure, has effects on information asymmetry and value relevance and how the adjustments to GAAP earnings made to derive it contribute to these effects. This study focuses on firms from two countries with contrasting institutional settings, Canada and France.Design/methodology/approachRelying on multivariate analyses and using Heckman’s procedure to address the sample self-selection issue, this study first estimates the likelihood of a firm to report adjusted EBITDA. Then, this study examines if adjusted EBITDA, as well as the adjustments made to GAAP earnings to derive adjusted EBITDA (adjustments), affect a firm’s information asymmetry and its value. These adjustments are essentially GAAP-grounded items that are discarded by management to derive non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA. The dependent variables are share price volatility, as a proxy for information asymmetry, alongside market-to-book and stock market return as indicators of value.FindingsIn terms of the used sample, results suggest that Canadian firms are much more likely to report adjusted EBITDA than French firms. Chief executive officer (CEO) attributes (CEO power) appears to increase such likelihood. Moreover, for both Canadian and French firms, adjusted EBITDA is associated with reduced stock market volatility, an indication of lower information asymmetry, as well as higher market-to-book and returns, suggesting value relevance. The results also indicate that investors view the adjustments to GAAP earnings made by management to derive adjusted EBITDA as not value relevant (similar to noise). The GAAP-grounded elements that management discard to derive adjusted EBITDA actually increase information asymmetry.Originality/valueThis study adds to prior research on the interface between a CEO attributes and governance and non-GAAP reporting. This study also provides evidence that, despite very different institutional settings, non-GAAP reporting conveys relevant information to capital markets’ participants in both France and Canada. Hence, a country’s institutional setting may have a differential impact on the disclosure choice but not on the resulting value relevance of such disclosure. Finally, this study extends the non-GAAP literature by examining the value relevance of a widely used yet under-researched measure, adjusted EBITDA.

Financial Reporting Quality and Private Firms’ Access to Trade Credit Capital

The research problem We examine the association between financial reporting quality and trade credit capital for a large sample of European private firms. Furthermore, we explore how information asymmetry and credit rationing moderate the link between financial reporting quality and trade credit financing. Motivation Trade credit constitutes one of the most important sources of financing for private firms. Nevertheless, prior research has provided few and inconclusive evidence of the link between financial reporting quality and private firms’ trade credit capital. Our study is further motivated by the recent calls for more research on the determinants of the relation between financial reporting quality and trade credit financing (e.g., Hope & Vyas ( 2017 )). The test hypotheses H1: There is a positive association between financial reporting quality and private firms’ access to trade credit capital. H2a: The relation between financial reporting quality and private firms’ access to trade credit capital is more positive when information asymmetry and uncertainty about future cash flows are high. H2b: The relation between financial reporting quality and private firms’ access to trade credit capital is more positive when credit is rationed. Target population Policymakers who seek to improve accounting standards and customize them to the financial reporting needs of private firms and their stakeholders (e.g., international financial reporting standards for small and medium-sized enterprises), private firm managers, and private firm suppliers. Adopted methodology Ordinary Least Squares regression analyses. Analyses We examine the association between financial reporting quality and trade credit financing for a large sample of private firms from Europe’s five largest economies, i.e., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Our sample period spans from 2010 to 2016. We use the Amadeus database as our source of data. We regress trade credit capital on three proxies for financial reporting quality. In cross-sectional analyses, we repeat our main estimations by interacting our proxies for financial reporting quality with proxies for information asymmetry and credit rationing. Findings We find strong evidence that high-quality financial reporting is associated with more trade credit financing in private firms. We further show that the positive relation between high-quality financial reporting and trade credit is stronger when information asymmetry and uncertainty about future cash flows is high as well as when credit is rationed. These findings suggest that suppliers complement insider communication channels and financial reporting quality and provide a more nuanced understanding of the interplay among information asymmetry, credit rationing, and trade credit financing.

Choice between rights issue and private placements of equity and the role of information asymmetry

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to investigate the role of information asymmetry in the equity selling mechanisms chosen by the firms from an important emerging market, India. Specifically, the authors look into the choice between the two most popular mechanisms of equity issues – rights issue and private placement of equity.Design/methodology/approachThis study introduces three analyst specific variables as proxies of information asymmetry as the conventional proxies are fraught with several disadvantages. First, the paper tests the choice between rights issue and private placement using a binary logistic model. In the second approach the authors use rights issue and segregate the private placements into preferential allotments and qualified institutional placements and test the impact of information asymmetry using a multinomial logistic regression.FindingsThe outcome of this empirical exercise shows that only those firms facing lesser information problems choose rights issue of equity. Private placements are chosen by firms facing higher information problems to circumvent information costs. The results remain invariant even after segregating the qualified institutional placements from private equity placement as the firms with information disadvantage choose to place equity privately.Originality/valueIn contrast to the conventional studies that focus on the debt-equity framework, the authors argue that the impact of information asymmetry is applicable even at disaggregated levels of equity selling mechanism.

The impact of corporate governance performance on the association between information asymmetry and opportunities' optimal levels: evidence from developed markets

PurposePrevious literature posits that corporate governance and information asymmetry are the main factors in making efficient investments. Meanwhile, a growing body of studies is of the opinion that corporate governance can also mitigate the problem of information asymmetry and consequently exerts significant impacts on the association between information asymmetry and investment efficiency. This study aims to analyze the impact of corporate governance and information asymmetry on investment efficiency. It also tests the moderating role of corporate governance in the relationship between information asymmetry and investment efficiency.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consists of 4,082 firms domiciled in 20 developed countries over the years from 2003 to 2019, including 33,812 firm-year observations. The bid–ask spread is used as a proxy for information asymmetry. To measure corporate governance performance, a proxy provided by ASSET4 is employed, and to determine the optimal levels of investments, we relied on the growth opportunity. To estimate the models, ordinary least squares and generalized method of moment are used.FindingsThe results reveal that information asymmetry is inversely related to investment efficiency, and, corporate governance mitigates this negative association.Originality/valueThis paper sheds light on the role of corporate governance in firms as a lever for mitigating information asymmetry and tries out information asymmetry and agency theories in relation to the impact of information asymmetry on investment efficiency. It also confirms the theory stating that corporate governance can be considered as a determinant of investment efficiency.

Foreign institutional ownership and the effectiveness of technical analysis

This paper investigates whether the effectiveness of technical analysis using a moving average (MA) approach varies with the level of information asymmetry. Using foreign institutional ownership as the proxy of information asymmetry, our empirical results indicate that moving average timing strategies for low foreign institutional ownership portfolios outperform buy-and-hold strategies. The effect holds after controlling the influence of information uncertainty suggested by Han et al. (2013). Moreover, the profitability of portfolios with low foreign institutional ownership increases along with information uncertainty. Finally, abnormal returns for MA strategies conditional on foreign institutional ownership are still significantly positive after controlling for Fama and French’s (1993) three-factor model, market conditions, and market timing abilities. Our evidence therefore concludes that, in addition to information uncertainty, information asymmetry is another driving force affecting the effectiveness of technical analysis.

Web-based financial reporting, social media and information asymmetry: the case of Saudi Arabia

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effect of Web-based financial reporting and social media platforms on the proxies of information asymmetry in the Saudi Stock Exchange. Design/methodology/approach The sample of this paper consists of 133 Saudi listed non-financial companies for the year 2019. Web-based disclosure level was measured using 25 items, and the social media platforms examined in this study are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The information asymmetry proxies are measured using the relative spread and the time-weighted average bid-ask spread. Findings The empirical results have shown that there is a negative and significant relation between Web-based financial reporting and the adoption of social media platforms and the proxies of information asymmetry. Indeed, the relative spread and the time-weighted average bid-ask spread decreased with increased Web-based reporting levels. Among three platforms (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), the results show that only the use of Twitter as a channel for information disclosure has a negative and significant effect on information asymmetry proxies. Consequently, in the Saudi context, the authors demonstrate that the assumptions of the agency, stewardship and signaling theories are supported. Also, results reveal that the effect of information disclosure through websites and social media on reducing information asymmetry is stronger for large companies than small companies. Practical implications The paper provides new insights into the role played by websites and social media platforms in the reduction of the information asymmetry in the stock market. Consequently, investors and regulatory authorities in the Saudi financial market must give great importance to online information disclosure and its implications for lowering information asymmetry. This empirical study informs regulators in Saudi Arabia to conduct the better practice of Web-based and social media financial reporting and to regulate the current practice of information disclosure. Besides, the obtained results have the potential to convince firms’ managers to improve online information disclosure to benefit from the reduction in information asymmetry. Originality/value Unlike previous studies, this study investigates, simultaneously, the effect of Web-based and social media information disclosure on the proxies of information asymmetry in a developing economy. In addition, the hypotheses of this study are developed based on a set of theories (the agency, signaling and stewardship theories), to verify the applicability of these three theories in the Saudi context.

Information Asymmetry, Mispricing, and Security Issuance

ABSTRACTI examine the effects of information asymmetry–driven mispricing on security issuance. Using predisclosure changes in purchase obligations as a proxy for information asymmetry–driven mispricing, I find that managers avoid (prefer) issuing securities when they perceive their firms to be undervalued (overvalued). The effects of information asymmetry–driven mispricing are stronger on equity issuance than debt issuance. Consequently, undervaluation (overvaluation) causes an increase (decrease) in leverage. These effects are more pronounced for firms, periods, and securities associated with greater information asymmetry. The stock‐trading patterns that managers follow suggest that their perceived mispricing is an important factor in both private and firm‐level decisions.

Does Information Asymmetry Affect Dividend Policy? Analysis Using Market Microstructure Variables

This study analyzes the relationship between information asymmetry and dividend policy in an emerging market, Korea. We adopt several proxies for information asymmetry, such as the Glosten–Harris and Hasbrouk–Foster–Viswanathan models, drawn from market microstructure literature. This study finds a negative relationship between information asymmetry and dividend yields, which appears to be particularly strong when firms have difficulty raising external capital because they have high systematic risk, financial constraints, or low stock liquidity. This result, based on an analysis using market microstructure variables that provide direct measures of information asymmetry, suggests that the pecking order theory holds for the Korean stock market and that information asymmetry is a strong determinant of dividend policy decisions in an emerging market.

Impact of Financial Sector Opacity on the Capital Structure Choice of Asian Banks

This study investigates the role of market imperfections on the optimal capital structure choice of value maximizing banks, by investigating the impact of information asymmetry on bank liabilities. Random effects estimation (GLS) is used to test the effect of market imperfections on the capital structure of banks by employing 7 years of unbalanced panel data from the largest 15 countries of Asia based on GDP. The study finds evidence of specific individual characteristics impacting the capital structure of Asian banks. However, banking sector market imperfections are also found to play a major role in the capital structure choice of banks. In the presence of a high level of information asymmetry between the bank and the depositor, the bank retains a lower than optimal capital ratio. Transparent banks may be successful in achieving the optimal leverage, consequently lowering their capital cost. Evidence suggests a need to reduce banking sector opacity regarding their risk exposures. To ensure banking sector stability, stronger capital requirements need to be imposed on banks in those Asian countries where information asymmetry is high. The limitations of the study include limited data and the choice of information asymmetry proxies. Future research can address this limitation by employing additional proxies for information asymmetry and increasing the number of countries.

Loan fair values and the financial crisis

PurposeIn 2009, effective the second-quarter, the financial accounting standards board mandated that all banks need to disclose the fair value of loans in their 10-Q filings in addition to their 10-K filings. This paper aims to investigate whether these disclosures reduced the level of information asymmetry about the riskiness of bank loan portfolios during the financial crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines the impact of these disclosures on the bid-ask spread of a panel of 246 publicly traded bank holding companies. The spread serves as a proxy for information asymmetry and the ratio of the fair value of a bank’s loan portfolio to its book value is a proxy for the credit and liquidity risk associated with the same. The reaction to the first-quarter filing serves as a control to assess the reaction at the time of the second-quarter filing.FindingsThere is a significant negative association between bid-ask spread and the ratio indicating that the fair value information was useful in reducing information asymmetry during the financial crisis. A pattern was observed in the information dissemination related to the fair value of loans that is consistent with the literature that documents a delayed investor reaction to complex financial information.Originality/valueInvestors may use the fair value information to better assess the risk profile of a BHC’s loan portfolio. Also, loan fair values provide managers with data to better implement stress test models and determine optimal capital buffers.

Information asymmetry and financing choice between debt, equity and dual issues by Indian firms

This paper examines the role of information asymmetry in determining the capital structure choices of firms in an emerging market -India. Unlike the conventional capital structure studies examining the debt-equity framework, we introduce dual issues i.e. the simultaneous issue of debt and equity, into the analytical framework. Further, we also incorporate novel variables related to analyst coverage information as proxies for information asymmetry which are rarely used in the Indian capital structure studies. The findings suggest that asymmetric information is a key determinant of the security issue decisions. Specifically, equity issues are limited and are only conducted by firms facing lesser information asymmetry, which in turn supports the arguments of information-based models.

Ownership structure, information asymmetry and growth of the firm: Implications from nonfinancial firms listed in S&P500

This paper investigates the association between growth of the firm and ownership structure under conditions of information asymmetry. The objective is to show the effects of information asymmetry (favorable vs. adverse selection) on the choice of the ownership structure that helps firms grow. Our sample includes nonfinancial firms listed in the S&P500 over the period 2000 to 2016. The dependent variable is growth of the firm measured by growth in sales. The independent variables are proxies for changes in ownership structure, individual investors, investment managers, and brokerage firms. Observations are grouped according to level of information asymmetry (high or low) using three proxies for information asymmetry: beta of return on equity (ROE), probability of default of ROE, and q ratio. The results conclude that (a) changes in ownership structure affect growth of the firm positively and (b) the effect of ownership structure is more significant and consistent at low level of information asymmetry. The contribution of the paper is threefold. First, it extends the arguments of corporate governance by showing the impact of ownership structure on growth of the firm. Second, the paper offers robust evidence that growth of the firm is associated with low level of information asymmetry. Third, the paper shows that fundamental financial information can help lessen the level of information asymmetry and thus help firms grow.

Audit quality, political connections and information asymmetry: evidence from banks in gulf co-operation council countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of audit quality on information asymmetry for a sample of leading listed local banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In addition, the paper examines whether a firm's political connections moderate the association between audit quality and information asymmetry.Design/methodology/approachThe author employs country fixed effects to examine the impact of audit quality on information asymmetry. The paper uses a sample of 49 leading listed local banks across the GCC and 236 bank-year observations, over the period of 2012–2016.FindingsUsing trading volume, trade value and stock return volatility as proxies for information asymmetry and audit quality through auditors' opinion and audit size, the paper documents that audit quality plays an important role in improving the quality of financial information reporting by providing greater independent assurance of the credibility of financial reports. The paper also documents that a firm's political connections have no effect on the association between audit quality and information asymmetry, indicating that the beneficial effects of audit quality are no greater for politically connected firms than for similar but politically unconnected firms.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study help policymakers, standard-setters and regulators to understand the potential adverse effect of political connections on the role of audit quality on information asymmetry. The study also provides important insights for audit regulators to better identify and understand the benefits of audit quality and to take policy matters that influence audit quality seriously.Originality/valueThe study increases our understanding of the impact of audit quality on the level of information asymmetry in different economic, legal and political institutions, regulatory and litigation incentives and social contexts compared to that of research conducted using data collected from developed and other emerging countries. This will help to widen our knowledge on the role of audit quality on information asymmetry across the globe.

Bitcoin transactions, information asymmetry and trading volume

The underlying transparency of the Bitcoin blockchain allows transactions in the network to be tracked in near real-time. When someone transfers a large number of Bitcoins, the market receives this information and traders can adjust their expectations based on the new information. This paper investigates trading volume and its relation to asymmetric information around transfers on the Bitcoin blockchain. We collect data on 2132 large transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain between September 2018 and November 2019, where 500 or more Bitcoins were transferred. Using event study methodology, we identify significant positive abnormal trading volume for the 15-minute window before a large Bitcoin transaction as well as during and after the event. Using public information about Bitcoin addresses of cryptocurrency exchanges as proxies for information asymmetry, we find that transactions with high levels of information asymmetry negatively affect abnormal trading volume once the event becomes public knowledge, while some effects are even opposite for transactions with lower information asymmetry. The results show that blockchain transaction activity is a relevant aspect of Bitcoinns microstructure, as informed traders make use of the information in general and adjust their expectations based on the degree of information asymmetry.

Information Asymmetry and Signalling in Emerging IPO Markets: The Case of Malaysia

Manuscript type: Research paper Research aims: This study examines the effect of information asymmetry on the relationship between the signalling variables and the initial returns of IPO. The signalling variables examined include lock-up period, underwriter reputation, auditor reputation, and board reputation. This study also examines the ability of signalling variables in reducing information asymmetry (the average first ten days of Bid/Ask spread is used as proxy for information asymmetry) around listing firm’s issues. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study employs cross-sectional regression model to examine the influencing effect of information asymmetry on the relationship between signalling variables and initial returns of IPOs, and to investigate which of the signals are able to reduce the level of information asymmetry surrounding the listing firm’s issues in the Malaysian IPO market. The study sample consists of 393 IPOs listed on Bursa Malaysia between January 2000 and December 2015. Research findings: The results show that the effect of signalling variables is more pronounced on the initial performance of IPOs when in an environment of high information asymmetry. Evidence also indicates that board reputation is able to reduce the under-pricing cost borne by listing firms by lowering the level of information asymmetry regarding the listing firm’s issues. Underwriter reputation is able to reduce the level of information asymmetry regarding listing firm’s issues, but unable to influence the initial returns of IPOs. Further, auditor reputation is able to reduce the under-pricing cost, but unable to reduce the level of information asymmetry regarding the listing firm’s issues. Finally, lock-up period is unable to reduce the level of information asymmetry as well as under-pricing with regards to the listing firm’s issues. Theoretical contribution/Originality: The effect of information asymmetry on the relationship between signalling variables and initial returns, and the effect of signalling variables on information asymmetry remains unexplored in the Malaysian IPO market. This gap is addressed by the current study. Practitioner/Policy implication: The findings imply that underwriter reputation, auditor reputation, and board member reputation are important for determining the initial returns of the IPOs. They are also important for reducing the level of information asymmetry surrounding the listing firm’s issues. Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that information regarding these signals be disclosed completely to investors since current disclosure practices in Malaysia only embed fragmented information. Research limitation/Implications: In the present study, the Bid/ Ask spread is used as proxy for information asymmetry. Future studies should consider other indicators such as the heterogeneity of investors’ opinion on the true value of the listing firm’s issues. This is because the fixed price method provides no opportunity for prospective investors to reflect on their expectations and beliefs on the IPOs’ issue price. As such, the fixed-price offering will have higher divergence of opinions among investors when compared to other pricing mechanisms such as the book-building method. Keywords: Information Asymmetry, Initial Returns, Malaysia IPO Market, Signalling JEL Classification: D53, D82, G11, G02, G24, N25

Disclosure Transparency and Disagreement Among Economic Agents: The Case of Goodwill Impairment

We examine whether more transparent disclosure about goodwill impairment tests conveys useful information to sell-side analysts about the parameters used in the complex and often opaque impairment testing process. Drawing on a sample of European companies from 2006 to 2014, we construct a unique dataset on the transparency of goodwill impairment disclosure and develop two analyst disagreement measures by extracting analysts’ opinions about firms’ impairment decisions in brokers’ reports. We show that the level of disclosure transparency is negatively associated with both disagreement among analysts, a proxy for information uncertainty, and disagreement between analysts and managers, a proxy for information asymmetry. Further, we find that discount-rate-related disclosure transparency is associated with both types of analyst disagreement, while cash-flow-related disclosure transparency is associated with disagreement between analysts and managers only. Our paper speaks to the usefulness of goodwill impairment test disclosures to analysts, while also highlighting that opportunistic and boilerplate disclosure by some firms hampers the ability to resolve information asymmetry and information uncertainty.