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The effect of investor sophistication on the influence of nonfinancial performance indicators on investors’ judgments

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  • Paul J. Coram

Abstract

This paper presents an experiment that examines how enhanced disclosure of nonfinancial performance indicators affects the stock‐price estimates of nonprofessional and professional investors. Participants were provided with a case study containing excerpts from a hypothetical company’s annual report. The experiment was a 2 (nonprofessional and professional) × 3 (positive nonfinancial performance indicators, negative nonfinancial performance indicators, and financial information only) between‐subjects design. Consistent with conservatism, the nonprofessional investors underreacted in their stock‐price estimates to the positive nonfinancial disclosures, compared with professional investors with task‐specific knowledge. The results from this study suggest that the value of enhanced disclosure of this type may not flow equally to all users of financial reports, if conservatism, and lack of task‐specific knowledge, adversely affect their decision‐making.

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  • Paul J. Coram, 2010. "The effect of investor sophistication on the influence of nonfinancial performance indicators on investors’ judgments," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(2), pages 263-280, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:50:y:2010:i:2:p:263-280
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2009.00328.x
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    2. Amber Johnson & Majella Percy & Peta Stevenson-Clarke & Robyn Cameron, 2014. "The Impact of the Disclosure of Non-GAAP Earnings in Australian Annual Reports on Non-Sophisticated Users," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 24(3), pages 207-217, September.
    3. Haziza, Mor M. & Kalay, Avner, 2020. "Trust and delegation: A case to consider on broker rebates and investor sophistication," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
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    5. Shuwen (Wendy) Cai & Jayne M. Godfrey & Robyn Moroney, 2017. "Impact of Segment†level Natural Resource Operational Risk Reporting on Earnings Predictions," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 53(4), pages 431-449, December.
    6. Lisa M. Gaynor & Andrea S. Kelton, 2014. "The effects of analyst forecasts and earnings trends on perceptions of management forecast credibility," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 54(1), pages 189-210, March.
    7. Wei Li, 2017. "Level of business insights in the MD&A and nonprofessional investors' judgments," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(4), pages 1043-1069, December.
    8. Lei Dong & Bernard Wong‐On‐Wing, 2021. "Does causally linking nonfinancial measures influence investors' use of management’s disclosures of nonfinancial information?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(S1), pages 2269-2299, April.
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