Do Conference Calls Affect Analysts' Forecasts?

47 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2000

See all articles by Robert M. Bowen

Robert M. Bowen

Chapman University - The George L. Argyros School of Business & Economics; University of Washington - Foster School of Business

Angela K. Davis

University of Oregon

Dawn A. Matsumoto

University of Washington - Department of Accounting

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 5, 2001

Abstract

In 1998, the SEC expressed concern that conference calls encourage selective disclosure by revealing new information to financial analysts privy to the call. This study investigates whether the regular use of earnings-related conference calls increases the amount of information available to financial analysts by examining the effect of conference calls on analysts' forecast error and dispersion. Results indicate that conference calls increase analysts' ability to forecast earnings accurately, suggesting that these calls increase the total information available about a firm. We also find some evidence that conference calls decrease dispersion among analysts. Given conference calls were generally restricted during our sample period, our evidence suggests that conference calls may have contributed to an information gap between analysts privy to the call and the remainder of the investment community.

We also investigate whether conference calls differentially affect analysts' forecast errors depending on analysts' prior forecasting ability or brokerage-house affiliation. We find evidence suggesting that analysts with relatively weak prior forecasting performance benefit more from conference calls, suggesting that conference calls help "level the playing field" across analysts.

Keywords: Conference calls, Security analysts, Forecast error, Forecast dispersion, Disclosure, Information environment, Reg FD

JEL Classification: M41, G12, G29

Suggested Citation

Bowen, Robert M. and Davis, Angela K. and Matsumoto, Dawn, Do Conference Calls Affect Analysts' Forecasts? (October 5, 2001). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=216810 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.216810

Robert M. Bowen

Chapman University - The George L. Argyros School of Business & Economics ( email )

1 University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
United States
206.334.0911 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.chapman.edu/our-faculty/robert-bowen

University of Washington - Foster School of Business ( email )

Box 353226
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-3226
United States
206.334.0911 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://foster.uw.edu/faculty-research/directory/robert-bowen/

Angela K. Davis

University of Oregon ( email )

Lundquist College of Business
1208 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
United States
541-346-3210 (Phone)

Dawn Matsumoto (Contact Author)

University of Washington - Department of Accounting ( email )

224 Mackenzie Hall, Box 353200
Seattle, WA 98195-3200
United States
206-543-4454 (Phone)
206-685-9392 (Fax)

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