Argus Research is an independent research firm, and our business is producing, distributing and marketing high-quality investment and economic research.
Our recommendations - BUY, HOLD and SELL - reflect the judgment of an analyst about a company’s prospects as an investment in terms of value, expected growth and risks.
Argus Research does not bring companies public, advise companies on mergers and acquisitions, broker trades, make markets in stocks or manage money. Our independence allows us to make critical judgments about companies that we might not be so free to make were we competing for a firm’s underwriting business. Because we’re not a broker/dealer, we don’t have “inventory” of a stock that we have to move with a tainted recommendation.
In recent years, numerous academic studies have concluded that investors benefit from independent research. Here are some of the benefits:
Aligned Interests
The incentives to bias recommendations upward are stronger for brokerage analysts affiliated with Investment Banks, according to a Stanford Graduate School of Business study.
Transparency & Objectivity
The use of Independent Research through the Global Settlement has pulled optimism out of the market & cleared up rating confusion for retail investors, according to a Washington University/Case Western Reserve University study.
Performance
Independent Research Provider BUY ratings statistically and significantly outperform Investment Bank BUYS, according to a study published by the University of California-Davis, University of Michigan and University of California Los Angeles.