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Product market competition, competitive strategy, and analyst coverage

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  • Rongrong Zhang

    (Georgia Southern University)

Abstract

This paper examines how product market competition and strategic interactions among peer firms influence analyst coverage. First, we hypothesize that product market competition increases both the demand and supply of analyst coverage. Using three variations of industry concentration ratios and a firm specific measure of competition, we test and find a positive and significant effect of market competition on analyst coverage. Second, we explore an information transfer channel through which product market affects analyst coverage. We hypothesize that information flows more freely among firms selling similar products. Such information flows lowers analyst information collection and processing costs, which in turn increases analyst coverage. Using product similarity index developed by Hoberg and Phillips (J Polit Econ 124(5):1423–1465, 2016) to capture the effect of information transfer, we find that analyst coverage increases with product similarity. Third we examine the role of competitive strategy in analyst coverage. We split our sample into markets of strategic complements and strategic substitutes. We find that the effect of market competition and analyst coverage is more pronounced in markets where firms compete as strategic complements.

Suggested Citation

  • Rongrong Zhang, 2018. "Product market competition, competitive strategy, and analyst coverage," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 239-260, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:50:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11156-017-0629-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-017-0629-x
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    Cited by:

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    2. Jing Wang & Wei Li & Arno Forst, 2021. "Product market competition, stock price informativeness, and IFRS adoption: evidence from Europe," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1537-1559, May.
    3. Babar, Md. & Habib, Ahsan, 2021. "Product market competition in accounting, finance, and corporate governance: A review of the literature," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    4. Yusoff, Iliyas & Chen, Chen & Lai, Karen & Naiker, Vic & Wang, Jun, 2023. "Foreign exchange exposure and analysts’ earnings forecasts," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Analyst coverage; Product market competition; Information transfer; Strategic complements; Strategic substitutes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure

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