中国上市公司自愿业绩预告动机研究

随着业绩预告制度的实施和演进,我国资本市场上逐步出现了越来越多的上市公司自愿业绩预告,这对于缓解管理层与投资者、机构投资者与中小投资者之间的信息不对称具有重要意义。那么,是什么因素激励上市公司管理层自愿披露业绩预告?通过借鉴西方的自愿信息披露理论,并结合我国转轨经济的制度背景,本文提出了我国上市公司自愿业绩预告的三类动机:资本市场交易、管理层股票收益和管理层能力信号传递,并以2001-2008年我国上市公司业绩预告数据为研究样本对此进行了检验。研究结果显示,融资需求高、管理者利益协同程度高、会计业绩好的上市公司更有动机自愿披露业绩预告,并且国有相对于非国有上市公司自愿披露动机更弱。     

管理层业绩预告违规与分析师监管

本文从外部治理的角度考察了分析师对业绩预告违规的影响及其对监管制度的替代作用。研究结果表明,分析师跟踪可以显著降低上市公司业绩预告违规的概率;进一步控制分析师跟踪规模后发现,有明星分析师跟踪以及来自高声誉券商的分析师数量越多、分析师预测分歧度越低,预测越准确,这种治理作用越显著。但是分析师的监管作用仅在上市公司受监管较弱时有效,对受监管力度较强上市公司的业绩预告违规行为则没有显著影响,表明分析师对业绩预告的治理效应仅在监管力度较弱时发挥作用,成为监管制度的有效替代。本文拓展了我国分析师研究的领域与视角,并为监管部门信息披露制度的制定与执行提供了新的经验证据。     

共同机构所有权与管理层业绩预告

党的二十大报告明确提出要提高防范化解重大风险的能力。高质量的业绩预告可以发挥较强的风险警示作用。然而,资本市场上却频发上市企业操纵业绩预告质量以谋求私利的现象。基于共同机构所有权这一新兴的非正式制度的视角,考察其对业绩预告质量产生的影响。研究发现：共同机构所有权可以提升业绩预告质量,即发挥了信息协同效应和监督治理效应。机制分析表明,共同机构所有权通过缓解企业的信息不对称程度,降低代理成本,内化业绩预告的负外部性,改善了业绩预告质量。进一步研究发现,区分机构投资者的类型后,稳定型共同机构投资者对业绩预告质量的改善作用更明显。此外,相比于强产品市场竞争,在弱产品市场竞争中,共同机构所有权对业绩预告质量的影响更显著。研究结论为政府完善上市公司信息披露监管政策提供了借鉴。     

股权激励业绩条件与管理层机会主义行为——基于管理层业绩预告的分析

利用我国A股上市公司公布的股权激励草案与强制性业绩预告,本文分析了管理层针对股权激励业绩条件的机会主义行为。本文发现管理层在股权激励草案公布之前的窗口期内会做出更加悲观（乐观程度更低）的业绩预告,而且股权激励业绩条件的设计会对管理层的机会主义行为产生影响,当公司使用单一的业绩目标进行考核、侧重净利润考核或者未使用行业相对指标时,管理层做出的业绩预告更加悲观（乐观程度更低）。进一步地,本文发现无论是对于股票期权还是限制性股票,管理层均存在着机会主义行为,且这种行为增加了管理层最终成功行权和解锁的可能性。另外,隐形激励（在职消费）和有效的内外部治理机制,如相对独立的董事会、分析师的跟踪、外部审计以及监管机构的关注都对管理层的机会主义行为具有一定的抑制作用。     

基于高管背景特征的业绩预告自愿披露行为研究

不管是国外的管理层盈余预测,还是我国的业绩预告,都在一定程度上缓解了管理层与投资者之间的信息不对称,成为资本市场上重要的信息来源.深入理解上市公司管理层业绩预告披露行为,对于投资者和监管者来说都十分重要.传统代理理论将管理者视为同质的,忽略了管理者个人对决策的影响.本文突破传统代理理论研究的缺陷,以高阶梯队理论为基础,从高管背景特征角度出发,研究上市公司业绩预告自愿披露行为.     

供应商集中度影响管理层业绩预告行为吗？——基于业绩预告精确性及其预告态度的视角

基于中国企业间关系信任的历史禀赋与现实情境,以2010-2017年A股公司业绩预告为样本,考察供应商集中度对业绩预告精确性与预告态度的影响。研究发现：供应商集中度越高,管理层业绩预告的精确性越低,预告态度也越倾向乐观。进一步研究发现：供应商集中度对业绩预告的精确性负向影响在业绩预告修正情况下作用更明显,在业绩预告未修正时企业更倾向于乐观的业绩预告;同时企业在自愿披露业绩预告情况下,供应商集中度对业绩预告精确性的反向作用更为显著,企业越倾向于披露乐观的业绩预告。以上研究为理解外部利益相关者与企业未来盈利预测之间的关系提供了直接的经验证据,丰富和拓展了供应商关系型交易影响企业信息披露策略选择的研究。     

非金融企业影子银行化与管理层业绩预告质量

本文以2013—2021年沪深两市A股上市非金融企业为研究样本,实证检验了非金融企业影子银行化对管理层业绩预告质量的影响。研究结果表明,非金融企业影子银行化显著降低了管理层业绩预告质量,具体表现为业绩预告准确性和精确度的下降。机制检验表明,非金融企业影子银行化通过提高企业业绩波动、增强管理层盈余管理动机两种渠道恶化业绩预告质量。异质性分析发现,在未采用“四大”事务所审计、机构投资者持股比例较低的企业以及非国有企业的样本中,两者之间的负相关关系更加显著。本文研究结果为规范管理层业绩预告披露行为、加强监管部门及外部力量对管理层信息披露行为的监督以及引导投资者辩证看待管理层披露的业绩预告信息具有一定的现实意义。     

社交媒体上“用嘴投票”对管理层自愿性业绩预告的影响

本文研究了投资者"股吧"讨论这种"用嘴投票"机制能否发挥治理作用进而促进管理层进行自愿性业绩预告。用上市公司股吧中的发帖量、阅读量和评论量来衡量投资者"用嘴投票"的参与程度,研究发现投资者"用嘴投票"参与度越高,管理层进行盈余预测自愿性披露的概率越大,且更愿意及时披露业绩下滑等坏消息。进一步研究发现,投资者"用嘴投票"是通过对股价产生影响、引发监管层关注和招致媒体报道这三个渠道对管理层产生预警进而发挥治理作用。且这一治理机制在管理层受到互联网信息影响可能性越大、公司中小股东户数越多以及论坛的讨论内容越负面时更为显著。     

社交媒体上“用嘴投票”对管理层自愿性业绩预告的影响

本文研究了投资者 “股吧”讨论这种“用嘴投票”机制能否发挥治理作用进而促进管理层进行自愿性业绩预告。用上市公司股吧中的发帖量、阅读量和评论量来衡量投资者“用嘴投票”的参与程度,研究发现投资者“用嘴投票”参与度越高,管理层进行盈余预测自愿性披露的概率越大,且更愿意及时披露业绩下滑等坏消息。进一步研究发现,投资者“用嘴投票”是通过对股价产生影响、引发监管层关注和招致媒体报道这三个渠道对管理层产生预警进而发挥治理作用。且这一治理机制在管理层受到互联网信息影响可能性越大、公司中小股东户数越多以及论坛的讨论内容越负面时更为显著。     

业绩预告信息对分析师预测行为有影响吗

本文考察了业绩预告披露的形式、精度等特征对分析师跟踪数量、预测误差和预测分歧度的影响,实证结果发现:相对于定性业绩预告,发布定量业绩预告的公司以及闭区间宽度较小的公司其跟踪的分析师数量较多,预测误差和分歧度也较低。这些结果意味着,作为一个重要的信息来源,上市公司业绩预告的形式和质量显著影响了分析师的预测行为。研究结论不仅有助于监管部门了解业绩预告政策对资本市场参与者的现实影响,而且也为业绩预告是否影响投资者行为的相关研究提供了新的经验证据。     

Confirming Management Earnings Forecasts, Earnings Uncertainty, and Stock Returns

In this study we examine the association among confirming management forecasts, stock prices, and analyst expectations. Confirming management forecasts are voluntary disclosures by management that corroborate existing market expectations about future earnings. This study provides evidence that these voluntary disclosures affect stock prices and the dispersion of analyst expectations. Specifically, we find that the market's reaction to confirming forecasts is significantly positive, indicating that benefits accrue to firms that disclose such forecasts. In addition, although we find no significant change in the mean consensus forecasts (a proxy for earnings expectations) around the confirming forecast date, evidence indicates a significant reduction in the mean and median consensus analyst dispersion (a proxy for earnings uncertainty). Finally, we document a positive association between the reduction of dispersion of analysts' forecasts and the magnitude of the stock market response. Overall, the evidence suggests that confirming forecasts reduce uncertainty about future earnings and that investors price this reduction of uncertainty.     

Voluntary Disclosure of Management Earnings Forecasts in IPO Prospectuses

Asymmetric information and mechanisms for its resolution in the initial public offering (IPO) process are subjects of extensive research and debate. In this paper, we investigate the impact of one such mechanism, namely voluntary disclosure of management earnings forecasts by issuers of IPOs, as a means of reducing asymmetric information as well as ex ante uncertainty. Our focus is on the relative importance of this voluntary disclosure mechanism on both IPO underpricing and post‐issue return performance. Our results indicate that management earnings forecasts provide important and incremental information compared to other means of reducing asymmetric information, and these disclosures appear to improve the environment of IPO issuance. For example, our underpricing results show that firms that choose to provide forecasts leave 'less money on the table' with a lower degree of underpricing. In terms of post‐issue performance, firms whose forecasts turn out to be optimistic are penalized significantly relative to other forecasters and non‐forecasters.     

业绩预告披露与盈余管理研究

盈余管理存在的根本原因在于投资者与管理层之间的信息不对称。业绩预告作为上市公司未来经营成果、财务状况与现金流量的预测,在很大程度上会影响投资者对上市公司的评估及其投资决策。从业绩预告披露的特征方面出发,研究业绩预告披露与盈余管理之间的关系,包括业绩预告的性质、预告精确度、预告误差分别与盈余管理程度的关系,结果发现：发布业绩预告的公司,盈余管理水平更高。预告精确度以及预告期间与预测当期盈余管理水平正相关,预测误差与盈余管理水平负相关。当消息类型不同的时候,预测的强制性与否以及＂变脸＂对盈余管理水平的影响不同。结论支持了上市公司财务报告迎合业绩预告披露的说法。     

Business Cycle and Management Earnings Forecasts

This study examines the effects of the economic cycle on the properties of management earnings forecasts. Although a large volume of accounting literature examines the determinants of managerial earnings forecasts, the properties of such forecasts, and the response of market participants to earnings forecasts (Cameron 1986; King et al., 1990; Hirst et al., 2008), research on management earnings forecasting incentivized by macro‐economic factors has received scant empirical investigation. We use the National Bureau of Economic Research economic cycle definition to operationalize economic recession, and consider some commonly used management earnings forecast characteristics, including forecast likelihood, forecast frequency, forecast error, forecast pessimism, and forecast precision. We find that the likelihood of providing management earnings forecasts and frequency of forecasts increases during economic recession. We also find that economic recession is positively associated with forecast error, but negatively associated with forecast precision. Our findings suggest macro‐economic factors as an important determinant of management earnings forecasts properties.     

The Effect of Earnings Forecasts on Earnings Management

We develop a theory of the association between earnings management and voluntary management forecasts in an agency setting. Earnings management is modeled as a "window dressing" action that can increase the firm's reported accounting earnings but has no impact on the firm's real cash flows. Earnings forecasts are modeled as the manager's communication of the firm's future cash flows. We show that it is easier to prevent the manager from managing earnings if he is asked to forecast earnings. We also show that earnings management is more likely to follow high earnings forecasts than low earnings forecasts. Finally, our analysis shows that shareholders may not find it optimal to prohibit earnings management. Earlier results rationalize earnings management by violating some assumption underlying the Revelation Principle. By contrast, in our model the principal can make full commitments and communication is unrestricted. Nonetheless, earnings management can be beneficial as it reduces the cost of eliciting truthful forecasts.     

Management Earnings Forecasts,Earnings Announcements,and Institutional Trading in China

Abstract:

In this study, we investigate the trading behavior of institutional investors in China according to management earnings forecasts (MEFs) and earnings announcements (EAs). MEFs are mandatory under the stringent regulatory framework in China. We find evidence that both MEFs and EAs have an effect on the market. However, MEFs have a bigger effect on the market than do EAs. According to a sample of semiannual observations of firms from 2003 to 2008, we find that changes in the stock ownership of institutions are positively associated with EAs but not significantly associated with MEFs. When we further examine the relations between institutional characteristics and trading strategies, we find that growth funds exploit the arbitrage opportunity of MEFs.     

管理层自利、外部监督与盈利预测偏差

管理层发布的盈利预测反映了企业未来的盈利前景,可能会对公司股票价格产生重要影响。作为企业信息最核心的知情者,管理层理应发布较为准确的盈利预测。然而,很多公司盈利预测却与真实盈利存在较大偏差。那么,管理层是否因为自利动机(比如增减持公司股票)而有意发布有偏差的盈利预测呢?本文以2007年至2013年沪深A股上市公司数据为样本,研究发现:当管理层持股变化时,其更可能发布有偏差的盈利预测。进一步检验外部监督作用的调节效应时发现:当监管机构监督、分析师监督或媒体监督力度较强时,管理层持股变化对盈利预测偏差的正向影响较弱。上述发现意味着,主管部门应将目前孤立进行的预测信息监管和内部人交易监管联系起来一并监管。     

An Empirical Analysis of Qualitative Management Earnings Forecasts

Despite efforts by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to encourage corporate disclosure of quantitative management earnings projections, only a small fraction of firms voluntarily do so. Instead of quantitative estimates, a large number of firms choose to disclose qualitative (verbal) assessments of their earnings prospects. This paper is a study of the information characteristics and the usefulness of this alternative form of forecast disclosure to investors. The study examines a sample of qualitative forecast statements from the 1979–1985 period and finds associations between these forecasts and percentage changes in realized earnings per share, the direction of financial analysts' forecast revisions following the disclosure of these forecasts, and abnormal stock returns on the date of their disclosure. These associations are, however, shown to be more significant for negative (bad news) than for positive (good news) forecasts.