A Study of Forecast Error and Covariant Time Series to Improve Forecasting for Financial Decision Making

Earnings forecasts provide useful numerical information concerning the expectations of a firm's future prospects and indicate management's ability to anticipate a firms changing internal structure and external environment. The accuracy of these earnings forecasts that has been given so much attention is due to the S.E.C.'s position on financial forecasts and the issuance of the Statement of Position by the AICPA. These statements are important since they, in part, have motivated researchers to the importance of forecasting financial information. Consequently, if the disclosure of earnings forecasts in financial reports is permissable, the improvement of financial forecasts should be one of the primary concerns of the AICPA, the SEC, and numerous other interested groups.