Determinants and usefulness of analysts' cash flow forecasts: evidence from Australia
International Journal of Accounting & Information Management
ISSN: 1834-7649
Article publication date: 22 February 2013
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of analysts' operating cash flow forecasts of Australian listed firms and whether or not such forecasts improve the usefulness of earnings and predictive ability of current cash flows.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a large sample of firms for which both cash flows and earnings forecasts were available over a period between 1993 and 2003, and employed both univariate and logistic regression analyses.
Findings
It was found that analysts forecast both operating cash flows and earnings when the firms are more complex in operations and when the size of the firm is relatively small. Further, it was found that cash flow forecasts improve the usefulness of earnings and predictive ability of current cash flows.
Originality/value
This study contributes to current understanding of analysts' forecast behaviour regarding dissemination of operating cash flow information and usefulness of cash flow forecasts.
Keywords
Citation
Ahmed, K. and Jahangir Ali, M. (2013), "Determinants and usefulness of analysts' cash flow forecasts: evidence from Australia", International Journal of Accounting & Information Management, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 4-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/18347641311299722
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited