We examine whether managers’ activities in striving to reach earnings targets affect their firms’ product quality. We find that firms suspected of manipulating real activities in trying to meet earnings benchmarks exhibit a higher likelihood and frequency of product recalls. Other evidence...

The 2016 Tick Size Pilot Program is an exogenous shock that incentivized fundamental investors to become more informed by acquiring fundamental firm information. Building on these studies, we examine the effect of the pilot program on earnings guidance. We find that the treatment firms...