Gender Differences in Analyst Stock Recommendations and Market Reactions

This paper provides evidence of gender heterogeneity in stock recommendations issued by analysts in China. The study finds that compared to male analysts, female analysts tend to have more conservative stock recommendations and lower levels of optimism. Male analysts are more likely to issue "buy" and "hold" recommendations, while female analysts are more likely to issue more conservative "neutral," "sell," and "reduce" recommendations. In the short term, the market reacts strongly to the ratings of female analysts, but their optimistic recommendations receive a poor response from investors. Investors may hold stereotypical beliefs towards female analysts, expecting them to adopt conservative strategies, and thus underestimate them when they make relatively optimistic suggestions. However, in the long term, there is no evident bias against female analysts in the market.