• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.63-85
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• 2013

This study tries to investigate the fundamental implications inherent in inventory asset information(specifically, unexpected inventory investment) by analyzing how the relationship between unexpected inventory investment and future operating performance. And we study how is the response of the stock market participants to the fundamental implications inherent in inventory asset information. Prior papers often assume the efficient market and they view the significant relation between stock prices and financial indicators as evidence of the contribution of such indicators to future earnings. Leading indicators are attracting the market's attention for equity valuation. We study whether one leading indicator (unexpected Inventories) forecasts future earnings, and whether market participants fully reflect the predictive ability when they sets share prices(Mishkin test, 1983). Our empirical results of the study are summarized as follows. Current unexpected inventory investment is negatively associated with future operating performance. Also, our evidence is that the stock market participants overprice the contribution of unexpected inventory investment when predicting future earnings. Furthermore, a hedge strategy that uses the overpricing gives significant future abnormal returns. The overall results help the users of financial reports, researchers of accounting, and the accounting principle setting body.