Investor Sentiment and Pro Forma Earnings Disclosures

Abstract:     
This study examines the influence of investor sentiment on managers’ discretionary disclosure of “pro forma” (adjusted) earnings metrics in earnings press releases. We find that managers’ propensity to disclose an adjusted earnings metric increases with the level of investor sentiment and, in particular, the propensity to disclose an adjusted number that exceeds the GAAP earnings figure. Further, our analyses suggest that as investor sentiment increases, managers (1) exclude higher levels of both recurring and nonrecurring expenses in calculating the pro forma earnings number and (2) emphasize the pro forma figure by placing it more prominently within the earnings press release. Additional analyses indicate that the association between investor sentiment and managers’ pro forma disclosure decisions at least partly reflects opportunistic motives. Finally, we find that managers’ own sentiment-driven expectations also play a role in their pro forma disclosure decisions.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 45

Keywords: investor sentiment, pro forma earnings, corporate disclosure

JEL Classification: G14, G18, M41, M45

Accepted Paper Series