Tests of the Usefulness of Analyst Earnings Forecast Data in Predicting Bankruptcy of Public Corporations

摘要

This study investigate five properties of earnings forecasts made by financial analysts to determine if systematic differences in these properties exists between failing and healthy firms. The five properties are: The level of forecasts, forecast error, forecast bias, forecast dispersion and revisions in forecasts. Measures reflecting the five properties are used in models to distinguish failing and healthy firms and predict future bankruptcy.