This paper examines factors influencing voluntary forecast disclosure by target companies, whether good/bad news forecasts are disclosed and the influence of forecasts on the outcome of hostile bids. Disclosure was significantly more likely during contested bids. In agreed bids, probability of...

Profit forecasts are rarely disclosed in the UK except in prospectuses, circulars and during takeover bids. There are few regulations governing the content of profit forecasts. Under stock exchange rules these forecasts must be reported on by both reporting accountants and the merchant bankers...

Most studies of forecast disclosure do not examine the information disclosed in forecasts, focusing instead on the dichotomous decision to disclose/not disclose a forecast. More recent research has begun to examine the nature of the forecasts disclosed (qualitative vs. non-qualitative; point or...

Despite the importance of profit forecasts to investors, little attention has been given so far to their publication, presentation and content. The object of the paper is two-fold: • First, the paper examines disclosures in profit forecasts and in takeover documents from the perspective of...