Prior studies have identified systematic and time persistent differences in analysts’ earnings forecast accuracy, but have not explained why the differences exist. Using the I/B/E/S Detail History database, this study finds that forecast accuracy is positively associated with analysts’ experience (a surrogate for analyst ability and skill) and employer size (a surrogate for resources available), and negatively associated with the number of firms and industries followed by the analyst (measures of task complexity). The results suggest that analysts’ characteristics may be useful in predicting differences in forecasting performance, and that market expectations studies may be improved by modeling these characteristics.

This study investigates whether abnormal returns can be earned using public information about firms’ domestic and foreign earnings. The results indicate that the market understates foreign earnings’ persistence. As a result, it is possible to construct a zero-investment hedge portfolio that consistently earns positive returns across years. A disproportionate fraction of the positive abnormal returns to the long position is concentrated in the few days surrounding the subsequent year's quarterly earnings announcement dates. Furthermore, the abnormal returns do not appear to persist beyond the subsequent year. The results are consistent with market mispricing, and not mis-estimated risk.