Do German security analysts herd?

We employ an innovative methodology suggested by Bernhardt et al. (J. Financ. Econ. 80:657–675, 2006) to examine the herding (or anti-herding) behavior of German analysts regarding earnings forecasts. This methodology avoids well-known shortcomings often encountered in related studies, such as correlated information signals, unexpected common shocks to earnings, systematic optimism or pessimism, or forecast target mismeasurement. Our findings suggest that German analysts anti-herd, that is, they systematically issue earnings forecasts that are further away from the consensus forecast than their private information indicates. Furthermore, we analyze the association between herding behavior and different characteristics, including the size of the brokerage, general or firm-specific experience, and the coverage of firms on the Neuer Markt. We mainly confirm findings for the United States, for example, that anti-herding is more severe in cases of higher competition among analysts. Contrary to anecdotal evidence, we also find anti-herding behavior in earnings forecasts for Neuer Markt firms during the “new economy” bubble.

An analysis of the reasons for the asymmetries surrounding earnings benchmarks

Several studies report an asymmetry in the distribution of earnings around specified benchmarks. However, doubt has arisen over whether the observed ‘kink’ in the distribution of earnings is solely caused by earnings management. We use a ratio analysis approach to examine a range of specific accruals for evidence of earnings management. We find little evidence that firms immediately above the benchmark have abnormal receivables, inventories or provisions. However, they do increase cash‐from‐customers and reduce inventory. Thus, our results support the recent research that suggests that firms engage in real actions to meet earnings benchmarks.     

Underwriter reputation,earnings management and the long‐run performance of initial public offerings

This study contributes to the extant literature on the nature of earnings management surrounding initial public offerings (IPOs) by investigating the role of underwriter reputation. We argue that prestigious underwriters will protect their reputation by carefully monitoring and certifying financial information on IPO firms, thereby limiting any potential earnings manipulation. As a result, those IPO firms that are associated with more prestigious underwriters are likely to exhibit substantially less‐aggressive earnings management. Conversely, we find the existence of a negative relationship between earnings management and the post‐offer performance of an IPO firm’s stocks only for those firms associated with less‐prestigious underwriters.     

上市公司非经常性损益信息披露的改进研究

为了保证上市公司的财务信息更客观地反映其财务状况和盈利能力,中国证监会于2008年11月发布公告对2007年的规定进行了修订。通过对100家上市公司财务报表中非经常性损益披露的统计分析,发现新的披露制度仍存在概念界定不完整、披露不统一、与退市政策关联度弱等不足之处,有待于进一步改进。     

Disentangling the effect of services on B2B firm value: Trade-offs of sales,profits, and earnings volatility

In the face of declining business and growing pressures from low-cost competitors, many business-to-business (B2B) manufacturers have moved from their previously successful product-centric strategies to more service-oriented business models. Yet despite their substantial investments in services, firms fail to understand the performance ramifications of these offerings. With a longitudinal data set (2001–2016) of 227 B2B manufacturers listed in the S&P 1500 index, this study disentangles the simultaneous effects of financial-based mechanisms that link the service ratio (i.e., share of a firm's revenue generated from selling services) to firm value. The findings reveal significant trade-offs across these mechanisms. Although the service ratio monotonously boosts sales growth, it has U-shaped curvilinear relationships with profitability and earnings volatility. These effects also depend on industry- and firm-level factors. Industry maturity positively moderates the effects of the service ratio on sales growth and profitability. However, business scope has an adverse effect on the service ratio–profitability relationship. Finally, industry turbulence negatively moderates the effect of services on earnings volatility.     

分析师的现金流预测有用吗——基于信息供给的视角

文章考察了证券分析师现金流预测行为对盈余预测质量的影响。研究发现,相对于没有现金流预测的公司,有预测的公司其盈余预测质量更高;现金流预测的次数越多,盈余预测质量越高;以上关系在盈余波动大、经营活动现金流波动大的公司更加明显。这说明我国分析师提供现金流预测信息的确有用,能够帮助分析师改善其盈余预测质量。文章的发现具有重要的实践价值,能够帮助投资者了解分析师现金流预测对盈余预测的影响,从而更有效地利用证券分析师报告进行决策。     

股市对业绩预告修正一视同仁吗？

本文搜集我国A股上市公司2002年至2011年间发布的所有业绩预告修正公告中董事会披露的业绩修正原因说明,首次系统地分析了我国独特的业绩预告制度下的业绩修正原因如何影响股市投资者对业绩修正的判断。研究结果显示,公司解释业绩预告变动原因时带有倾向性,公司对利好消息和利空消息的解释会倾向于不同的原因,而且业绩变动原因对股市投资人理解业绩预告有重大的影响。如果公司将原因归于公司不可控的宏观原因、不可控的会计因素和会计记账错误,股市对利好的业绩修正反应更强烈,也能削弱利空消息对股市的打击程度。如果是其它原因或公司不说明原因,股市的反应会更加糟糕。本文为资本市场投资者了解业绩修正原因说明的经济后果提供了实证证据。     

政府控制、高管薪酬与盈余管理

以我国上市公司为研究对象,考察不同政府控制下,高管薪酬激励制度对上市公司盈余管理的影响,实证结果表明,在国有企业中,高管薪酬与盈余管理正向相关,说明高管薪酬激励在一定程度上并不能积极参与上市公司治理,反而构成了盈余管理的动因之一;在民营企业中,高管薪酬与盈余管理正相关并不显著,说明民营企业中高管薪酬激励在一定程度发挥了治理功能并不构成盈余管理的动因。研究结果有助于揭示高管薪酬激励制度作为公司治理的外部机制所带来的经济后果。     

Sex Differentials in Earnings in the South Korean Labor Market

We examine gender differences in earnings among South Korean workers in 1988 – the year the South Korean National Assembly enacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. Using the "88 Occupational Wage Bargaining Survey on the Actual Condition," we calculate women's mean earnings as a percentage of men's mean earnings by major industrial category and educational attainment. We find a larger wage gap among clerical and sales workers than production workers or professionals. Generally, the more education a woman has, the smaller the gap between her earnings and those of her male counterparts. Women with a middle-school education have a mean income 53.5 percent that of comparable men, while the female-to-male wage ratio among college graduates is 76.1 percent. We analyze wage differences separately for women and men. Following Ronald Oaxaca's (1973) work, we decompose male–female wage differentials. We also calculate a discrimination coefficient. Our work shows that, all else equal, men earn from 33.6 percent to 46.9 percent more than women with comparable skills. We attribute the difference to gender discrimination.     

Investor Attention and Earnings Management around the World

This study examines the determinants of earnings management in an international setting using the limited investor attention model of Hirshleifer and Teoh ( 2003 ). The model predicts that investor attention reduces earnings management. I use analyst following, institutional ownership, and Big N auditor choice to proxy for investor attention. I have four key findings. First, I document that financial analysts curb earnings management in U.S. firms but not in non‐U.S. firms. Second, I document that institutional block‐holdings curb earnings management across the world. Third, Big N auditors reduce earnings management in U.S. firms but not in non‐U.S. firms. Fourth, I document that corporate governance mechanisms reduce earnings management in U.S. firms but not in non‐U.S. firms.