Beyond Firm-Level Determinants: The Effect of M&A Features on the Extent of M&A Disclosure

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Florio ◽  
Andrea Lionzo ◽  
Silvano Corbella
Keyword(s):  
Mergers And Acquisitions ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Jel Classifications ◽  
Potential Sensitivity

ABSTRACT Although the accounting literature demonstrates country- and firm-related factors drive disclosure in financial statements, whether transaction-specific features also affect the extent of disclosure is still unclear. In this paper, we examine such issues by investigating the association between the disclosures offered in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and multiple determinants incidental to the M&A itself. Referring to the unique Italian setting, which shows high discretion and potential sensitivity toward disclosure, we document that acquirers increase disclosure for larger M&A and reduce disclosure for increasing M&A materiality and extreme amounts of goodwill recognized on the transaction. By disentangling mandatory and voluntary disclosure, empirical evidence shows that the latter is sensitive to more M&A-specific features than the former. Additional analyses and robustness tests support our main findings. The study contributes to the accounting literature by highlighting the importance to include transaction-specific features when modeling for transaction-related disclosure, and has practical implications for investors, standard setters, and regulators. JEL Classifications: M40; M41.

SMEs and their bank choices: trust-related factors or economic calculations?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Jackowicz ◽  
Łukasz Kozłowski ◽  
Adrian Strucinski
Keyword(s):  
Selection Process ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Detailed Picture

PurposeThe authors investigate the factors affecting the decision of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to do business with either small local banks or large commercial banks.Design/methodology/approachWe combine various data sources on Polish SMEs, including their financial statements, county-level data on SMEs' local environment, information about bank branch locations, as well as a new survey on the specificity of bank–firm relationships. We employ the logit and Tobit models.FindingsSMEs' bank choices and the length of a bank–firm relationship are more strongly associated with trust-related factors, rather than transactional ones. SME managers motivated by trust-related factors are more likely to choose local lenders and maintain long-term relationships with them. However, as firms grow and mature, SME managers lean toward banks adopting transaction-oriented policies.Research limitations/implicationsWe could have drawn a more detailed picture of the bank selection process had we been able to compare the traits of a firm's current and previous banks.Practical implicationsThe study shows that the features of a bank's offer, including product prices, have limited potential in shaping long-term relationships between banks and SMEs.Originality/valueThe topic of bank selection by SMEs has not been thoroughly investigated in the case of Central European countries. We address this gap by comparing two types of potential drivers of bank selection: trust-related factors and a set of purely economic (transactional) motives.

Does external auditing combat corruption? Evidence from private firms

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Farooq ◽  
Nermeen F. Shehata
Keyword(s):  
Financial Statements ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
Level Data ◽  
World Bank Enterprise Survey ◽  
Enterprise Survey ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to document whether firms with audited financial statements pay lower bribes to get contracts than firms without audited financial statements. In other words, this study assesses whether external auditing helps combat corruption. Design/methodology/approach The World Bank Enterprise Survey data covering the period between 2006 and 2014 is used. The total sample comprised more than 50,000 firms in 126 countries. Findings This paper finds that firms with audited financial statements pay significantly lower bribes compared to firms with unaudited financial statements. The results are robust across various estimation procedures, various proxies for bribery and various sub-samples. It is also found that the relationship between audited financial statements and bribery is more pronounced in environments where firms face higher pressure to engage in corrupt practices. Practical implications The results imply that auditing of financial statements can act as a disciplining device to curb bribery in environments that encourage corruption. Originality/value This paper is the first attempt, according to the authors’ knowledge, to examine the relationship between external auditing and corruption using firm-level data that cover 126 countries and is gathered over a 14-year period. Therefore, the results derived from this study are generalizable.

Value relevance of earnings and book values in the Qatari Stock Exchange

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hesham I. Almujamed ◽  
Mishari M. Alfraih
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Valuation Model ◽  
Book Values ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The study of developed capital markets suggests that information provided in financial statements has lost its value relevance to equity holders. The purpose of this paper is to explore this issue in the emerging market of Qatar. Design/methodology/approach Following other studies in the literature, the study examines the value relevance of earnings and book values using the price valuation model provided by Ohlson (1995). A total of 215 observations were collected from all firms listed on the Qatari Stock Exchange over a period of five years (2012–2016). Findings This study suggests that the value relevance of both earnings and book values has noticeably decreased over the sample period. However, its results show that the decline in the value relevance of earnings favored book values. Research limitations/implications Like other studies, this one has limitations that suggest areas for future research. For example, in Qatar, like other emerging markets, a lack of data prevents the performance of deep analysis. Additionally, the authors only use Ohlson’s (1995) model as a framework for evaluation. It would be interesting to explore the changes when examining alternative valuation models. Another limitation is that the authors examine only two accounting measures: earnings and book values. Further research could explore changes in the value relevance of other measures, such as cash flow. Practical implications These findings provide empirical evidence regarding the value relevance of earnings and book values in an emerging market. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this paper provides the first empirical evidence regarding the value relevance of earnings and book values in the emerging capital market of Qatar.

Voluntary Disclosure of Free Cash Flow Information

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Adhikari ◽  
Augustine Duru
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Credit Ratings ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Free Cash Flow ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Flow Information ◽  
Number Of Firms

Modern finance texts have long advocated a focus on “free cash flow” rather than on earnings for evaluating firm performance. While U.S. GAAP does not require firms to disclose free cash flow (FCF) information, some firms voluntarily report and emphasize FCF in their financial statements. FCFs are discussed and used in some finance texts, analysts' reports, and financial press articles, yet little theoretical and conceptual guidance exists on how to compute FCF. Hence, the SEC and the FASB have expressed concern about the comparability, consistency, and transparency of these reported measures. This study provides empirical evidence on a set of firms that voluntarily disclose FCF information in their 10-K and 10-Q reports filed between 1994 and 2004. The number of firms disclosing FCF information is small but has grown in recent years. We document that FCF definitions vary widely, limiting comparability of FCF disclosures across firms. Our results also indicate that FCF firms are less profitable and more leveraged than other firms in their own industries. Moreover, FCF firms have lower credit ratings and pay out higher dividends. These results suggest that FCF firms provide FCF disclosures to augment reported income and cash flow information. As such, our results suggest that FCF firms view FCF disclosures as an important complement to their traditional reporting practices.

Timeliness of Tunisian Audit Reports: An Empirical Investigation based on Ownership and Partnership Visions

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mondher Fakhfakh
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Qualitative Feature ◽  
Transmission Delays ◽  
Emerging Country ◽  
Audit Reports ◽  
Audit Information

Timeliness of audit reports is a qualitative feature that enhances the usefulness of audited financial statements. As an emerging country, Tunisia has modernized its accounting legislation to enhance the quality of financial reporting. This legislation encourages independent auditors to optimize the transmission delays of audit reports. The authorities assume that the satisfaction of stakeholders is secured by regulating disclosure of audit reports. Our research analyses the date of issue of Tunisian audit reports and timeliness of audit information for shareholders and all users of financial statements (stakeholders). This paper provides new empirical evidence about the timeliness of audit reports in Tunisia. It holds two dates that influence the needs of users of financial statements: the date of signature of the auditors and the date of publication of the audit reports in the financial bulletin. The same article discusses the variability of the timeliness of audit reports and the factors that explain the delay information.

The Relation between Managerial Ability and Audit Fees and Going Concern Opinions

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 139-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gopal V. Krishnan ◽  
Changjiang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Managerial Ability ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Going Concern ◽  
Going Concern Opinion ◽  
Corporate Resources ◽  
Ability Measure

SUMMARY While prior research has examined the relation between firm-level attributes and auditors' decisions, there is little empirical evidence on whether managerial attributes are informative to auditors. We examine the relation between managerial ability, i.e., ability in transforming corporate resources to revenues, and audit fees and a going concern opinion. We use the managerial ability measure recently developed by Demerjian, Lev, and McVay (2012). We find that incremental to firm-level attributes, both audit fees and the likelihood of issuing a going concern opinion are decreasing in managerial ability. Collectively, our findings support the notion that managerial ability is relevant to auditors' decisions.

Unexpected Consequences: The Effects on Non-Accelerated Filers of an Accelerated Filing Deadline and SOX Section 404

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-112
Author(s):  
Bei Dong ◽  
Stefanie L. Tate ◽  
Le Emily Xu
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Section 404 ◽  
Auditor Change ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Allocation Decisions ◽  
Jel Classifications ◽  
Resource Allocation Decisions

SYNOPSIS Regulations implemented by the SEC in 2003 and 2004 simultaneously shortened the financial statement filing deadlines and increased the time required for both the preparation of financial statements and the related audit of accelerated filers (AFs). However, there were indirect, unintended negative consequences for companies not subject to the regulations, namely, non-accelerated filers (NAFs). The new regulations imposed strains on auditor resources requiring auditors to make resource allocation decisions that negatively affected NAFs. We find that NAFs with an auditor who had a high proportion of AF clients (high-AF) had longer audit delays after the regulations were implemented than NAFs of an auditor with a low proportion of AF clients (low-AF). Further, we document that NAFs with high-AF auditors were more likely to change auditors than NAFs with low-AF auditors. Finally, NAFs that switched to auditors with less AFs experienced shorter audit delays after the auditor change. JEL Classifications: M42; M48.

Divestiture and Its Market Reaction in a Consolidating Industry: The Global Brewing Industry

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Ludwig Erl ◽  
Florian Kiesel
Keyword(s):  
Mergers And Acquisitions ◽  
Capital Market ◽  
Market Reaction ◽  
Market Performance ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Brewing Industry ◽  
Efficiency Gains ◽  
Market Values ◽  
Jel Classifications ◽  
The Capital Market

Abstract This study provides a perspective on the market performance of divestitures in the global brewing industry. In 2018, the five largest players accounted for 60% of the global beer volume. We analyze to what extent the capital market values divestitures in an industry where players usually seek efficiency gains and growth through mergers and acquisitions. Based on a sample of 61 divestiture intent announcements in the period from 1999–2018, this study shows that publicly listed brewing groups experience significant positive abnormal returns of about 1.4%. We measure the influential effect of success determinants concerning the underlying industry, the divested business, the divestiture structure, and the divestor itself. (JEL Classifications: G14, G34, L25, Q14)

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