Can External Monitoring Affect Corporate Financial Reporting and Disclosure? Evidence from Earnings and Expectations Management

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred Zhu Liu
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Institutional Investors ◽  
Financial Analysts ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Analyst Following ◽  
Investment Style ◽  
External Monitoring ◽  
Expectations Management ◽  
Reported Earnings ◽  
Corporate Financial Reporting

SYNOPSIS This study examines whether financial analysts and institutional investors play a disciplinary role in monitoring corporate financial reporting and disclosure. Using a sample of firms that meet or marginally beat analysts' forecasts, likely through upward earnings management and downward expectations management, this study shows that managers' use of the two tactics is associated with monitoring measures, including analyst following, analyst experience and independence, institutional ownership, and institutional investors' experience and investment style. Managers under more effective monitoring by analysts and institutional investors are more likely to manage expectations downward than to manage earnings upward. Overall, the findings are consistent with financial analysts and institutional investors playing a monitoring role in constraining distortions in reported earnings and inducing timely disclosure of bad news. Data Availability: All data are from public sources.

Retroactive Tax Legislation, Reported Earnings, and Investors' Responses to Earnings “Surprises”: Evidence from R&D Credit Extensions

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Bratten ◽  
David S. Hulse
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Stock Prices ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Average Decrease ◽  
Tax Legislation ◽  
Reported Earnings

ABSTRACT When Congress retroactively extends a temporary tax rule, the effect on earnings is complex because financial reporting standards require firms to apply the integral method using enacted tax law to determine quarterly income tax expense. We model this effect and examine earnings announcements following retroactive extensions of the federal R&D tax credit to test how investors incorporate the effect into stock prices. We find that investors respond when earnings are announced, even though the effect could have been determined several weeks earlier. We also show that in recent years, the effects of retroactive extensions of the credit are a substantial part of the average decrease in effective tax rates (ETRs) from the third to fourth quarter for calendar-year firms. Our results have implications for investors and researchers examining earnings and ETRs around retroactive extensions of temporary tax rules and suggest that congressional delays and GAAP interact to produce unintended consequences. JEL Classifications: M41; M48; G14; H25. Data Availability: Data used in this study are available from the sources identified in the text.

The Influence of Country-Level Religiosity on Accounting Conservatism

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Bjornsen ◽  
Chuong Do ◽  
Thomas C. Omer
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Stock Price ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Accounting Conservatism ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Legal Enforcement ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Reported Earnings ◽  
High Degree

ABSTRACT This study investigates how religiosity (i.e., the strength of religion) differences across countries influence an important characteristic of financial reporting, accounting conservatism. Prior literature suggests that religious individuals are more risk averse and have higher ethical standards, while accounting conservatism has been shown to reduce various risks to the firm (e.g., bankruptcy and stock price crashes) at the expense of higher reported earnings. We find that managers in more religious societies report more conservatively. Specifically, our cross-country analysis reveals that firms headquartered in countries with higher levels of religiosity exhibit, on average, higher accounting conservatism in financial reporting. This positive association is stronger in countries following IFRS or U.S. GAAP, and weaker in countries with a high degree of uncertainty avoidance, strong legal enforcement, and countries with greater numbers of religions. JEL Classifications: G34; M41; Z12. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.

Monitors or Predators: The Influence of Institutional Investors on Sell-Side Analysts

2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoyang Gu ◽  
Zengquan Li ◽  
Yong George Yang
Keyword(s):  
Mutual Fund ◽  
Institutional Investors ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Financial Analysts ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Stock Recommendations ◽  
Analyst Bias ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Unique Dataset

ABSTRACT: Regulators and the investment community have been concerned that institutional investors pressure financial analysts through trading commission fees to issue optimistic opinions in support of their stock positions. We use a unique dataset that identifies mutual fund companies' allocation of trading commission fees to individual brokerages and provide direct evidence on this issue. In particular, we show that for stocks in which the fund companies have taken large positions, analysts are more optimistic in their stock recommendations when their brokerages receive trading commission fees from these fund companies. The relationship is stronger when the commission fee pressure is greater. The market reacts less favorably to the “Strong Buy” recommendations of analysts facing greater commission fee pressure. The funds also respond negatively to such recommendations in making portfolio adjustments. These results point to a source of analyst bias that has been little explored in the literature. Data Availability: The data are publically available from the sources identified in the paper.

Classification Shifting in an International Setting: Investor Protection and Financial Analysts Monitoring

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce K. Behn ◽  
Giorgio Gotti ◽  
Don Herrmann ◽  
Tony Kang
Keyword(s):  
Investor Protection ◽  
Financial Analysts ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Financial Analyst ◽  
Analyst Following ◽  
Classification Shifting ◽  
International Setting ◽  
Core Earnings

ABSTRACT Prior research on publicly traded U.S. firms provides evidence that managers engage in classification shifting to opportunistically manage “core” earnings. We extend this line of research in a broader international setting, by examining (1) whether the level of investor protection affects managers' decisions to engage in classification shifting behavior and (2) whether coverage by financial analysts mitigates this behavior. Based on an international sample of firms from 40 countries, we observe evidence consistent with classification shifting in both strong and weak investor protection countries using four separate measures of investor protection. We then explore the potential monitoring role of financial analysts in mitigating classification shifting. We provide evidence that higher financial analyst following mitigates classification shifting, primarily in weak investor protection countries. Overall, our results provide evidence of classification shifting in a broad international setting and evidence of financial analysts' influence in reducing this form of earnings management. Data Availability: The data are available from public sources identified in the text.

Recognition versus Disclosure of Fair Values

2015 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 2411-2447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian A. Müller ◽  
Edward J. Riedl ◽  
Thorsten Sellhorn
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Fair Value ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Equity Prices ◽  
Analyst Following ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Prior Literature

ABSTRACT This paper examines pricing differences across recognized and disclosed fair values. We build on prior literature by examining two theoretical causes of such differences: lower reliability of the disclosed information, and/or investors' higher related information processing costs. We examine European real estate firms reporting under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which require that fair values for investment properties, our sample firms' key operating asset, either be recognized on the balance sheet or disclosed in the footnotes. Consistent with prior research, we predict and find a lower association between equity prices and disclosed relative to recognized investment property fair values, reflecting a discount applied to disclosed fair values. We then predict and find that this discount is mitigated by lower information processing costs (proxied via high analyst following), and some support that it is also mitigated by higher reliability (proxied via use of external appraisals). These latter results are documented using subsample analyses to test one attribute (either information processing costs or reliability) while holding the other constant. Overall, these findings are consistent with fair value reliability and information processing costs providing complementary explanations for observed pricing discounts assessed on disclosed accounting amounts. Data Availability: Data are available from public sources identified in the manuscript.

Analyst Following and Forecast Accuracy After Eliminating the 20-F Reconciliation Between IFRS and U.S. GAAP

2020 ◽  
pp. 0148558X2094464
Author(s):  
Wen Li ◽  
Huai Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Analysts ◽  
Forecast Accuracy ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Securities And Exchange Commission ◽  
Analyst Following ◽  
Analyst Coverage ◽  
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Accounting Principles

In 2007, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decided to allow foreign private issuers to file financial statements prepared according to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) without reconciliation to U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Using a sample of foreign private issuers from 35 countries/regions during the period of 2005 to 2008, this article investigates how the elimination of the 20-F reconciliation affects financial analysts. We find that it significantly reduces analyst coverage but has no impact on forecast accuracy. We show that analysts who are greatly affected are more likely to terminate their coverage of IFRS firms after the SEC’s rule than other analysts. In addition, we hypothesize and find that eliminating the 20-F reconciliation has a greater impact on firms whose 20-F reconciliation is more useful to analysts. For these firms, the elimination of the 20-F reconciliation significantly reduces both analyst coverage and forecast accuracy. Overall, our results suggest that the elimination of the 20-F reconciliation imposes costs on financial analysts.

WILLIAM O. DOUGLAS ON THE TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION'S AUTHORITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RULES FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Chatov
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Corporate Financial Reporting

As an SEC Commissioner, William O. Douglas favored active SEC participation in the development of rules of accounting for financial reporting under the Securities Acts. A retrospective letter dated September 29, 1973 indicates that the pre-War SEC Commission did not contemplate the virtually complete transfer to the private sector of the authority for development of corporate financial reporting that characterizes the position of today's SEC.

A CHRONOLOGY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CORPORATE FINANCIAL REPORTING IN CANADA: 1850 TO 1983

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
George J. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Company Law ◽  
Economic Relationships ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Significant Events ◽  
Canadian Institute ◽  
Chartered Accountants ◽  
Corporate Financial Reporting

A chronology of significant events in the development of corporate financial reporting standards and practices is presented. The introductory comments to the various sections direct attention to some of the main patterns and trends in that development and provide the framework in which the listing of events is to be interpreted. The particularly significant domestic sources of influence are the legislative and professional activities in Ontario and, in more recent times, the activities of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. External influences have been—not unexpectedly—the traditions of English Company law and the close professional, institutional and economic relationships with the United States. Some internationally significant developments unique to Canada are indicated.

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