Frank Zhang named James L. Frank ’32 Professor of Accounting

Frank Zhang, a globally recognized scholar in the field of capital markets, has been appointed the James L. Frank ’32 Professor of Accounting, effective immediately.

He is a member of the faculty at the Yale School of Management (SOM).

Zhang’s research focuses on empirical capital markets, including stock anomalies, fundamental analysis, investor and analyst behavior, management incentives, and corporate financial reporting. He is interested in both rational and behavioral approaches in studying stock anomalies and cross-sectional variations in stock returns.

In his work, he has examined such questions as how prices in efficient markets should reflect financial numbers; whether investors fully incorporate value-relevant public disclosures; why earnings are managed and its impact on stakeholders; the role of sell side analysts; and the effect of inflation on firm value. He has also contributed to other areas of study, including

taxes, GDP management, and fraud. His findings influence academics, practitioners, and regulators alike.

He has more than 7,000 Google Scholar cites, a Google Scholar h-index of 27. He is often invited to speak or discuss at conferences, is an associate editor of Management Science, and has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Accounting Research.

Zhang is also a valued citizen of the Yale and SOM communities and a mentor to junior colleagues in his group and more broadly. He has also taught a variety of M.B.A., Executive M.B.A., and Ph.D. courses, and played a key role in SOM’s executive education offerings to Chinese audiences. He has also been instrumental in fundraising efforts for the school.

Zhang joined the SOM faculty in 2005 and was granted tenured in 2012. He earned his B.S. at Nankai University and both an M.B.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.