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An Approach to Adjusting Analysts' Consensus Forecasts for Selection Bias

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  • RACHEL M. HAYES
  • CAROLYN B. LEVINE

Abstract

Many recent empirical studies have concluded that analysts' earnings forecasts are optimistic on average. In this paper, we attempt to undo the effect of one potential source of optimistic bias in analysts' earnings forecasts. Assuming forecasts come from a truncated normal distribution, we estimate the “true†population mean using maximum likelihood. We find that our estimates of earnings are more accurate and less biased than standard measures of sample mean and median. However, we do not find a closer relationship between excess market returns and forecast errors from our maximum likelihood estimate than from the sample mean. This may suggest that the market does not fully incorporate analysts' incentives in generating expectations about future earnings.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel M. Hayes & Carolyn B. Levine, 2000. "An Approach to Adjusting Analysts' Consensus Forecasts for Selection Bias," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(1), pages 61-83, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:17:y:2000:i:1:p:61-83
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1911-3846.2000.tb00911.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brown, Lawrence D., 1993. "Earnings forecasting research: its implications for capital markets research," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 295-320, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rebecca N. Hann & Heedong Kim & Yue Zheng, 2019. "Intra-industry information transfers: evidence from changes in implied volatility around earnings announcements," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 927-971, September.
    2. Ramnath, Sundaresh & Rock, Steve & Shane, Philip, 2008. "The financial analyst forecasting literature: A taxonomy with suggestions for further research," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 34-75.
    3. Astaiza-Gómez, José Gabriel, 2021. "The Effects of Investors' Information Acquisition On Sell-Side Analysts Forecast Bias," MPRA Paper 110059, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Kai-Wei (Shaun) Siau & Stephen J. Sault & Geoffrey J. Warren & Henk Berkman, 2015. "Are imputation credits capitalised into stock prices?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 55(1), pages 241-277, March.
    5. Zhaoyang Gu & Jian Xue, 2007. "Do analysts overreact to extreme good news in earnings?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 415-431, November.

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