Smith Research

The more narcissistic a company's CFO, the higher the analysts valuations of the firm, finds new research from the Smith School's Nick Seybert. He and his co-authors look at conference calls with analysts and find that narcissistic CFOs talk more, use euphemisms, and push back againtst — even…

Public firms disclose significantly less about environmental risks when under EPA scrutiny, new research by Mark Zakota shows. His study highlights how such oversight may undermine SEC climate-transparency efforts—unless firms improve governance or agencies better coordinate enforcement.

Smith professor Musa Subasi’s research, published in Management Science, examines whether credit rating agencies use options market data to improve rating accuracy. His study finds that higher options trading volume correlates with more accurate ratings, offering insights for regulatory discussions…

Sean Cao, director of the Smith AI Initiative, has researched blockchain’s role in financial auditing for six years. His study, published in Management Science (2024), explores how permissioned blockchains enhance reporting integrity, reduce costs by 70%, and improve data privacy.

New research from Sean Cao at the University of Maryland’s Smith School shows that AI and human stock analysts complement each other. AI excels in processing large data, while humans outperform in complex, intangible contexts. Combining both reduces errors and improves predictions.

Associate Professor Nick Seybert’s research highlights the impact of “rule-bender” language in job postings on applicant quality. Employers using keywords like “ambitious” and “thinks outside the box” may attract narcissistic applicants prone to unethical behavior, especially in accounting.

Finance professor Agustin Hurtado’s AI research highlights racial disparities in mortgage lending, while Information Systems researchers study AI chatbots' impact on mental health counseling. Marketing professor Michel Wedel explores predicting decisions via eye-tracking, and accounting professor…

Publicly traded companies’ quarterly earnings announcements aren’t just for investors – consumers are also absorbing earnings news and making purchasing decisions accordingly, finds new research from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Retailers have been using artificial intelligence for a while now. There’s the rudimentary use of it to send out enticing email promotions or timely online ads that we welcome at times and find annoying at others. But retailers are also using AI to track consumers’ behavior both online and in brick…

Firms are more likely to face accounting-related lawsuits for overstating their earnings or assets than for understating them because it’s easier to demonstrate investor harm with overstatements. So erring on the conservative side can reduce a firm’s legal costs.