Sentiment shifts: sentiment analysis of annual reports during key economic and political periods

Abstract

Annual reports are important in globalised economies as they are serving as tools for communication between banks and their stakeholders, including shareholders/investors, analysts, regulators/government agencies, other financial institutions, employees, and business partners. This study utilises sentiment analysis to examine shifts in sentiment within Slovak annual reports across key periods: pre-financial crisis, financial crisis, post-financial crisis, post-revision of the third pillar, COVID-19 pandemic, and the energy crisis/war in Ukraine. Results reveal notable patterns, with the global financial crisis being the most turbulent period, marked by a higher ratio of negative sentences. In contrast, the Post-Pillar 3 revision period exhibits stability, featuring the highest ratio of neutral sentences. This research contributes valuable insights into corporate sentiment dynamics during challenging times, shedding light on how companies navigate uncertainty and present narratives in annual reports, influencing stakeholder perceptions and potentially signalling future corporate decisions and strategies.