Speech Analysis in Financial Markets

The ways in which managers communicate information to capital market participants go far beyond financial statements and accounting numbers. Managers communicate economically relevant information both verbally, in documents distributed and available to investors (such as annual reports and SEC filings), and nonverbally, through meetings and conference calls with analysts and investors. We review research on the information contained in nonverbal communication, particularly vocal communication that occurs in organizational contexts. We also explore possible ways in which accounting researchers can draw useful insights from investigating managerial vocal communication. The advances in computerized voice analysis coupled with the increasing availability of audio files containing managerial communication presents promising research opportunities.