Does Customer Satisfaction Influence the Relationship Between Earnings and Firm Value?

Don O'Sullivan
John McCallig

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the influence of customer satisfaction on the stock market’s response to current earnings. The study extends prior research on the value relevance of customer satisfaction to include the direct and indirect effect of customer satisfaction on firm value. Utilizing an earnings based valuation model and data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and COMPUSTAT, the study shows that both satisfaction and the interaction between earnings and satisfaction have a significant influence on firm value. Stock market participants are sensitive to changes in customer satisfaction and this is reflected in the market’s responsiveness to earnings performance.