Firms’ Response to Macroeconomic Estimation Errors

56 Pages Posted: 2 Apr 2018 Last revised: 1 Oct 2021

See all articles by Oliver Binz

Oliver Binz

ESMT European School of Management and Technology

William J. Mayew

Duke University - Fuqua School of Business

Suresh Nallareddy

University of Washington - Foster School of Business

Date Written: May 19, 2020

Abstract

Initial Gross Domestic Product (GDP) announcements are important economic signals that convey information on the state of the economy but contain substantial estimation error. We investigate how GDP estimation errors affect firms’ real decisions and profitability. We find that GDP estimation errors are positively associated with one-quarter-ahead changes in firms’ capital investments, production, inventory, and profitability. However, we observe long-run profitability reversals, which is consistent with initial over (under) production eventually being met with declines (increases) in future profitability. Furthermore, managerial responses to the estimation errors mimic the response to the true component of the GDP signal, suggesting that managers do not filter estimation errors and overreact to both GDP signal components. Our firm-level findings translate to the macroeconomic level, where we find that a long-run reversal follows a positive short-run aggregate investment response to GDP signal components.

Keywords: Gross Domestic Product; Expectation errors; Profitability; Restatements; Analyst forecasts; Macroeconomy; Capital expenditures; Production

JEL Classification: E00, E01, E17, E20, E50, E60, G00, G28, G30, G31, M00, M20, M21, M40, M41

Suggested Citation

Binz, Oliver and Mayew, William J. and Nallareddy, Suresh, Firms’ Response to Macroeconomic Estimation Errors (May 19, 2020). Journal of Accounting & Economics (JAE), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3151764 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3151764

Oliver Binz

ESMT European School of Management and Technology ( email )

Schlossplatz 1
10117 Berlin
Germany

William J. Mayew

Duke University - Fuqua School of Business ( email )

Box 90120
Durham, NC 27708-0120
United States
919-660-7781 (Phone)
919-660-7971 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/faculty/alpha/mayew.htm

Suresh Nallareddy (Contact Author)

University of Washington - Foster School of Business ( email )

Box 353200
Seattle, WA 98195-3200
United States
98195 (Fax)

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