Initiating coverage, broker reputation and management earnings forecasts in Australia

Abstract

We examine more than 5000 recommendations made by Australian brokers in the period 1996-2001. We find evidence that initiating recommendations produce greater share price responses than continuing recommendations, particularly for hold, underperform and sell recommendations. We also find evidence that initiating recommendations made by higher-reputation brokers and those made in the absence of a management earnings forecast attract different share price responses. Finally, we find that share price responses to initiating recommendations, conditional on the market consensus recommendation, are significantly different to continuing recommendations. © 2007 AFAANZ.