Analysts' Forecasts of Japanese Firms' Earnings: Additional Evidence

38 Pages Posted: 22 Apr 2002

See all articles by Huong N. Higgins

Huong N. Higgins

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - School of Business

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Abstract

This paper examines analyst forecasts of Japanese firms' earnings during Japan's economic burst period in the 1990s. Using the evidence of analyst earnings forecasts in the U.S. as benchmark, the paper documents the following three findings. First, whereas the forecast accuracy of U.S. analysts following U.S. firms improves over time, the forecast accuracy of U.S. and Japanese analysts following Japanese firms does not. Second, whereas decreases in forecast errors of U.S. analysts following U.S. firms are best explained by decreases in forecast bias of the analysts, increases in forecast errors of U.S. and Japanese analysts following Japanese firms are best explained by increases in the frequency of losses experienced by Japanese firms. Third, Japanese analysts forecast earnings less accurately than do U.S. analysts. These findings reflect the difficulty of producing accurate earnings forecasts during economic downturns. These findings also suggest that Japanese analysts are more bound than their U.S. counterparts by cultural ties that impede forecast accuracy.

Keywords: analyst ability, earnings forecast error, economic downturns, forecast accuracy, Japanese analyst, Japanese economy, Japanese forecast

JEL Classification: G29, M41, G15

Suggested Citation

Higgins, Huong N., Analysts' Forecasts of Japanese Firms' Earnings: Additional Evidence. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=306019 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.306019

Huong N. Higgins (Contact Author)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - School of Business ( email )

100 Institute Road
Worcester, MA 01609
United States
508-831-5626 (Phone)
508-831-5720 (Fax)

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