Impact of Error of Prior-Period Earnings Forecast on Market Reaction to Management Earnings Forecast, and Different Types of Earnings Management

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

The objective of this research is to investigate the reaction of market to the companies’ bad or good news, according to their earnings forecast in the last year, the managers’ inclination to keep or improve their fame in forecasting, and comparing managers' inclination towards upward earnings management with different types of earnings management and with respect to their last year forecast. To achieve this, the financial statements of 86 companies listed in the Tehran Stock Exchange between the years 1384-1390 were analyzed. To reach the research objective, the companies were categorized according to their last and current year forecasts, and their forecast contents.
Then, considering the combined structure of the data, and using the statistical tests as T test, correlative coefficient of Pierson, and OLS, the hypotheses of the research were tested. The results showed that the market reaction to the earnings forecast with good (bad) news, when the last period forecast was optimistic (pessimistic),is more positive (more negative) than when the last period forecastis pessimistic (optimistic). Also, the results showed managers tend to be stable in earnings forecast. Additionally, the results showed the last period optimistic forecast could be considered the factor leading to upward earnings management in the current period.

Keywords


Alavi Tabari, H. and Jalili, A. (1385), usefulness of the fundamental variables on the earnings growth prediction, Journal of The Accounting And Auditing Review, 13(1), 119-143 [In Persian].
Baik, B. and Jiang, G. (2006). The use of management forecast to dampen analysts’ expectations. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy 25(5), 531-553.
Choi, J. H. and Ziebart, D.A. (2004). Management earnings forecasts and the market’s reaction to predicted bias in the forecast. Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting and Economics. 11(2), 167-192.
Cohen, D.A., Dey, A. and Lys, T.Z. (2008).Real and accrual-based earnings management in the pre- and post-sarbanes-oxley periods. Accounting Review. 83, 757-787.
Dechow, P. M., Sloan, R. G. and Sweeney, A. P. (1995). Detecting Earnings Management. Accounting Review, 70, 193-225
Foroghi, D. and Safdarian, L. (1391), Relationship between Earnings Management and Abnormal Return in Companies listed in the Tehran stock exchange, Empirical Studies in Financial accounting quarterly, 33, 1-18 [In Persian].
Gong, G., Yue Li, L. and Xie, H. (2009). The Association between Management Earning Forecast Errors and Accruals. Accounting Review. 84(2): 497-530.
Hameed, A., Huang, j. and Mian, G.M. (2010). Industries and Stock Return reversals.Working Paper, National University of Singapore. 1-41.
Hutton, A. P. and Stocken, P. c. (2007). Effect of reputation on the credibility of management forecasts. Working Paper. Boston College and Dartmouth College.
Hutton, A. P. and Stocken, P.C. (2009). Prior forecasting accuracy and investor reaction to management earning forecasts. Working paper. Boston College and Dartmouth College.
Jahankhani, A. and Saffarian. A. (1382), Market reaction to estimated earring per share in companies listed in the Tehran stock exchange, Journal of Financial Research, 5(2), 83-100 [In Persian].
Kasznik, R. (1999). On the association between voluntary disclosure and earnings management. Journal of Accounting Research. 37(1): 57-81.
Kato, K., Skinner, D. J. and Kunimura, M. (2009). Management forecasts in Japan: An empirical study of forecasts that are effectively mandated. The Accounting Review. 84(5), 1575–1606
Khaleghi Moghadam, H. and Azad, M. (1383), Information content of earnings prediction, Empirical Studies in Financial Accounting Quarterly, 7, 34-54 [In Persian].
Khalife Soltani, S.A., Mollanazari, M. and Pakdel, S. (1389), The relationship between management earnings forecast errors and accrouls, Journal of Accounting Knowledge, 1(3), 59-76 [In Persian].
Kordestani, G. and Ashtab, A. (1389), Bubble identification in Tehran's Stock Exchange: Evidence based on time-varying present value model, Journal of The Accounting And Auditing Review, 2(17), 93-108 [In Persian].
Lobo, G.J. and Zhou, J. (2001).Disclosure quality and earnings management. Working Paper. Syracuse University.
Maham, K. and Zolghadr, M. (1391), Relationship between management earnings forecast and earnings management, Empirical Researches of Financial accounting, 2(4), 65-87 [In Persian].
Mahdavi, G., Zare, H. and Abadi, A. (1390), Investigating the relationship between earnings forecast error and total accruals of the companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange, Quarterly Journal of Securities Exchange,  4(16), 57-78 [In Persian].
Mansour, S.B., Jouini, E. and Napp, C. (2006). Is there a “pessimistic” bias in individual beliefs? Evidence from a simple survey. Theory and Decision. 61(4), 345-362.
Meshki, M. and Ashrafi, H. (1393), The effect of uncertainty level on stock prices reaction to the good news and bad news during business cycles, Journal of The Accounting And Auditing Review, 21(1), 89-108 [In Persian].
Meshki, M. and Asi Rabbani, M. (1390), An Investigation of relationship between management forecast error with abnormal rate of return and systematic risk at Tehran Stock Exchange, Journal of The Accounting And Auditing Review, 18(66), 53-68 [In Persian].
Modarres, A. and Askari, M. (1388), Identify effective factors on long term abnormal return of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Tehran Stock Exchange, Quarterly Journal of Securities Exchange, 2(5), 77-103 [In Persian].
Norem, J. K. and Illingworth, K.S. (1993). Strategy-dependent effects of reflecting on self and tasks: Some implications of optimism and defensive pessimism. Journal of Personality and Social Psycholog. 65(4), 822-835
Rahmani. A., Bashiri Manesh, N. and Shahrokhi, S.S. (1391), Effects of management earnings forecasts on future earnings response coefficient, Accounting Knowledge, 3(10), 29-50 [In Persian].
Roychowdhury, S. (2006). Earnings management through real activities manipulation. Journal of Accounting and conomics. 42, 335-370.
Saghafi, A. and Kordestani, G. (1383), The investigation of the relationship between earning quality and market reaction to dividend changes. Journal of Accounting And Auditing Review, 11(3), 51-72 [In Persian].
Soffer, L.C., Thigarajan, S.R. and Walther, B. (2000). Earnings preannouncement strategies. Review of Accounting Studies. 5(1), 5-26.
Yang, j. w.(2013). Management earnings forecast and earnings management: Does prior-period forecast accuracy play a role? Journal of Business & Economics Research. 11(3), 147-158.
Yu, W. (2008). Accounting-based earnings management and real activities manipulation. Working Paper, Georgia Institute of Technology.
Zarowin, P. (1989). Does the stock market overreact to corporate earnings information. Journal of Finance. 64 (5), 1385-1399.
Zhang, W. (2008). Real activities manipulation to meet analysts cash flow forecast. University of Texas at Dallas.Available at www.ssrn.com.