Strategic Earnings Information Disclosures around CEO Turnover

Abstract

This study examines firms’ earnings information disclosures around CEO turnover. We find that shortly before turnover, the departing CEO is more likely to disclose earnings forecasts with positive surprises whose actual earnings will be realized after his departure. We also find that the incoming CEO tends to report earnings with negative surprises shortly after his arrival. These results suggest that a potential conflict of interest between old and new CEOs affects firms’ earnings disclosure policies. However, this tendency toward opportunistic earnings disclosures is mitigated when a firm’s CEO turnover takes place under a relay succession plan, which better aligns the old CEO and new CEO’s interests. The capital market appears to understand the opportunism behind the earnings disclosures associated with CEO turnovers.