Resumo:
This paper quantifies the economic implications of systematic forecast errors made by firm managers. Using administrative survey data from Italy, we show that managerial forecast errors on 1-year ahead sales are positively and significantly autocorrelated. This persistence in forecast error is consistent with managerial underreaction to new information. To investigate the micro- and macro-economic effects of this forecasting bias, we develop a dynamic equilibrium model with heterogeneous firms and distorted expectations. We estimate the model using firm-level production and forecast data. The model matches exactly the significant under-reaction observed in managerial forecast data, as well as other moments related to investment and production. Compared to an equally imperfectly informed, but rational firm, distorted forecasts lead, in our baseline model, to an average profit loss of about 1.785 % at the firm-level and an aggregate TFP loss of 0.325 %. We investigate how additional distortions affect these estimates.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário