ABSTRACT I examine the association between data visualizations in earnings conference call presentations and contemporaneous disclosure processing outcomes. I find that the use of data visualizations in this setting is associated with decreases in abnormal information asymmetry and increases in abnormal market liquidity. In addition, I find that data visualizations help investors process information when investors face greater acquisition and integration costs. Finally, I find that data visualizations are associated with increased trading activity and trade profitability for less-sophisticated investors. Overall, my results suggest that the use of data visualizations in earnings conference calls can reduce investors’ processing costs and improve market outcomes. Data Availability: Data are available from sources identified in the text. JEL Classifications: D83; G14; M41.

Abstract Despite the rapid growth of podcasts as a source of investment information, we know little about their potential capital market effects. We find that the release of podcasts that provide listeners with firm-specific investment analysis is associated with significant increases in trading activity, particularly among retail investors. When released following earnings announcements, investing podcasts appear to provide information to less-informed investors that helps them better process the news, as podcast discussion is associated with reductions in information asymmetry. This effect is stronger for podcasts that include guests, have greater narrative distinctiveness across speakers, convey information more rapidly, and focus more on fundamental analysis. Podcast discussion is also associated with faster price formation and heightened earnings response coefficients, with no evidence of return reversals. Overall, our results are consistent with investing podcasts helping investors to better process information and provide novel evidence on how this emerging technology impacts capital markets.

The Securities and Exchange Commission encourages the presentation of information or data in graphical form to improve users' ability to understand financial disclosures. We find a dramatic increase in the disclosure of both qualitative and quantitative infographics in 10-K filings over time and substantial cross-sectional variation in firms' choices regarding image types, data content, and the placement of infographics within 10-Ks. We provide evidence on factors associated with firms’ use of infographics and explore the persistence with which they are disclosed over time. Finally, we investigate the relation between the use of infographics and uncertainty in capital markets.