Do buy‐side analysts inform sell‐side analyst research?

Abstract

This paper examines whether sell‐side analysts' interactions with buy‐side analysts influence the quality of sell‐side research output. We hypothesise that these interactions offer the sell side a view of the buy side's private information, which enhances the quality of sell‐side research. Our findings show that analyst earnings forecast accuracy improves with these interactions with diminishing returns. Results are robust to alternative proxies for research quality and information flow from buy‐side to sell‐side analysts. Additional tests rule out endogeneity concerns, strengthening the inference that feedback from interactions with buy‐side analysts improves the quality of sell‐side research output.