We show that abnormal returns to analysts' recommendations stem from both the ratings levels assigned as well as the changes in those ratings. Conditional on the ratings change, buy and strong buy recommendations have greater returns than do holds, sells, and strong sells. Conditional on the...

This paper examines the impact of soft dollar practices on market equilibrium and trading profits. The setting is one in which there exist both money managers and individual (nonclient) investors and in which soft dollar payments from brokers to money managers cannot be publicly observed. In...

This paper presents evidence of persistent anomalies in internet firms' stock returns surrounding their quarterly earnings announcements. There is a general run-up in prices in the days prior to the earnings announcement, which extends through the market opening on the day subsequent to the...

In light of the importance of revenues in the valuation of internet stocks, this paper examines the roles played by analysts, past revenues, and web usage data (unique visitors, pageviews, and minutes spent at a firm's web sites) in the forecasting of future revenues. In contrast to evidence...

In this paper we provide insights into the manner in which (relatively sparse) accounting information, along with measures of internet usage, are employed by the market in the valuation of internet firms. Consistent with those who claim that financial statement information is of very limited use...

An important element of a firm's disclosure strategy is the timing of its mandatory public announcements. In this paper, two aspects of disclosure timing are examined. The first is the intraday timing of earnings announcements. It is demonstrated here that, under reasonable conditions, market...

This paper explores the link between shareholder lawsuits brought under Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and managerial disclosures of prospective information. Two scenarios are examined. In the first, the manager's information is assumed to be such that there exists an...

This paper shows that there is a positive relation between the number of analysts following a firm and the firm's expected share price. This relation is a direct consequence of market participants' inability to observe the number of informed traders in the market. It is further shown that a...

This paper analyzes a manager's optimal expectations management strategy in a setting in which the manager provides forecast guidance to an analyst both privately and publicly. Conventional wisdom suggests that managers use private communications with analysts and public earnings forecasts...

We document that stocks with the strongest prior 12-month returns experience a significant average market-adjusted return of 1.58 percent during the five trading days before their earnings announcements and a significant average market-adjusted return of 1.86 percent in the five trading days...