Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational?

Abstract Most prior studies test analyst's earnings forecast based on different assumptions of loss function. Under ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, prior studies find that financial analysts do not incorporate information rationally when they form their earnings forecasts. Some empiri...

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Main Author: Liu, Yang
Format: Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2008
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/22429/
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author Liu, Yang
author_facet Liu, Yang
author_sort Liu, Yang
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Abstract Most prior studies test analyst's earnings forecast based on different assumptions of loss function. Under ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, prior studies find that financial analysts do not incorporate information rationally when they form their earnings forecasts. Some empirical studies argue that financial analysts tend to minimize the mean of forecasts errors, and then they actually face a linear loss function. Under least absolute deviation (LAD) regression, there is no strong evidence that analysts forecasts economically irrationality incorporate information when they form earnings forecasts. This paper test the rational expectation hypothesis on earnings forecast using under both OLS regression and LAD regression. The findings in this dissertation suggest that under the OLS regression, analysts forecasts are irrational that consistent with prior studies. However, the evidence of economically rational is found under the LAD regression tests.
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spelling nottingham-224292017-12-17T17:50:36Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/22429/ Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational? Liu, Yang Abstract Most prior studies test analyst's earnings forecast based on different assumptions of loss function. Under ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, prior studies find that financial analysts do not incorporate information rationally when they form their earnings forecasts. Some empirical studies argue that financial analysts tend to minimize the mean of forecasts errors, and then they actually face a linear loss function. Under least absolute deviation (LAD) regression, there is no strong evidence that analysts forecasts economically irrationality incorporate information when they form earnings forecasts. This paper test the rational expectation hypothesis on earnings forecast using under both OLS regression and LAD regression. The findings in this dissertation suggest that under the OLS regression, analysts forecasts are irrational that consistent with prior studies. However, the evidence of economically rational is found under the LAD regression tests. 2008 Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/22429/1/Yang_LIU.pdf Liu, Yang (2008) Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational? [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished)
spellingShingle Liu, Yang
Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational?
title Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational?
title_full Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational?
title_fullStr Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational?
title_full_unstemmed Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational?
title_short Do Financial Analysts Form Forecasts Rational?
title_sort do financial analysts form forecasts rational?
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/22429/