We study the determinants and market impact of sell-side debt research. Analyzing a sample of 5920 debt reports published by 15 brokerage firms from 1999 to 2004, we document that companies with a higher probability of financial distress, lower market-to-book ratio, larger debt, and higher leverage receive more debt research. In addition, we document higher frequency of debt reports around credit ratings downgrades and find that their publication impacts equity prices. The evidence enhances our understanding of the nature of the market forces shaping sell-side debt research and its effect on price formation.

ABSTRACT Prior research documents mean reversion in firm profitability and growth under the implicit assumption that profitability and growth of all firms revert to a common benchmark at the same rate. However, a large body of academic research suggests that there are systematic interindustry differences (e.g., industry barriers to entry) that differentially affect firm performance based on industry membership. We evaluate the relative forecast accuracy of mean reverting models at the industry and economywide levels and find that industry‐specific models are generally more accurate in predicting firm growth but not profitability.