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Managers’ Understanding of Macroeconomic News, Competitor Influence, and Firm Performance: Evidence from Consumer Sentiment News

delete2026-06-10
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PRE
AI
M
Mei Feng
L
Lian Fen Lee
B
Benda Yin
DOI:10.1016/j.jacceco.2026.101906delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
This paper examines the association between managers’ failure to incorporate macroeconomic news and firm performance, focusing on the role of competitors. Measuring this failure using the extent to which management revenue forecast errors reflect U.S. consumer sentiment, we find an asymmetric association. When firms underestimate consumer demand and underproduce, failing to incorporate consumer sentiment news is associated with worse performance, but when they overestimate demand and overproduce, no association exists. These results are consistent with competitors reacting differently to underproduction and overproduction, worsening firm performance in the case of underproduction but not necessarily in overproduction. Cross-sectional analyses reveal that the negative association is mainly present when U.S. consumer sentiment is important and strategic interactions are stronger, such as in markets with higher product similarity. Overall, our findings suggest that the performance consequences of forecast errors due to failure to understand macroeconomic information are nuanced and depend on competitors’ strategic actions.

Journal

Journal of Accounting and Economics cover
Journal of Accounting and Economics
IF:
6.8
Papers:
1.5K
Citations:
1.7W

Organization

H
hong kong university of science and technology
Scholars:
802
Papers: 450
Citations: 1
B
Boston College
Scholars:
5.2K
Papers: 5.1K
Citations: 8.8K
U
university of pittsburgh
Scholars:
5.1K
Papers: 2.3K
Citations: 1
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