A Measure of the Precision of Forward-Looking Management Decision & Analysis (Md&A) Statements

Abstract:

Even though the SEC recommends providing forward-looking information to investors, they do not provide guidance regarding how precise the forward-looking statements should be. Are firms providing precise forecasts of future performance in their MD&A narratives? This paper extends the research on MD&A narratives by providing a measure of the precision of quantitative forward-looking narratives in MD&A disclosures.