Reconciling Financial Information at Varied Levels of Aggregation*

Financial statements summarize a firm's fiscal position using only a limited number of accounts. Readers often interpret financial statements in conjunction with other information, some of which may be aggregated in a different way (or not at all). This paper exploits properties of the double‐entry accounting system to provide a systematic approach to reconciling diverse financial data. The key is the ability to represent the double‐entry system by network flows and, thereby, access well‐recognized network optimization techniques. Two specific uses are investigated: the reconciliation of audit evidence with management‐prepared financial statements, and the creation of transaction‐level financial ratios.     

Disclosure Overload? A Professional User Perspective on the Usefulness of General Purpose Financial Statements

We survey a broad group of professionals who use financial statements as part of their job to assess the extent to which they believe financial reports suffer from disclosure overload. Consistent with the claims made by regulators, auditors, and preparers, we find that a significant portion of professional financial statement users believe disclosure overload is a problem. However, this group is in the minority, with about twice as many professional users believing that overload is not a problem and that more information should be disclosed in financial statements. This dichotomy presents a difficult challenge to standard setters aiming to improve financial reporting by altering the amount of information provided in financial reports. To that end, we complement existing research on the informativeness of accounting information by measuring perceptions of the usefulness of the various financial statements and their footnotes across a variety of tasks. Finally, we develop a framework that could be useful in developing a theory of disclosure overload.     

非平衡会计理论探索

复式记账法的本质是一种核对功能,现代计算机技术也可以完成这种数字核对,而且更为快捷和准确。因而我们可以放弃复式记账法而去探索新的会计计量方法。西方财务会计计量理论总结出了五种比较普遍认可的计量属性,这种划分依据的是会计计量在时间方面的出发点,即过去、现在和未     

重大会计差错临时披露的盈余信息含量分析

文章以2004-2005年期间353家发生重大会计差错更正的A股上市公司为样本,运用Wilson（2005）的一期模型．检验了重大会计差错更正披露前后的季度盈余信息含量。研究发现,重大会计差错更正披露减少了此后季度盈余公告的信息含量,特别是重大会计差错更正披露前后季度盈余的ERC呈现u形;但是这种影响是暂时的。从重大会计差错更正披露后的第二季度到第四季度,盈余公告的信息含量很快恢复到重大会计差错更正披露前盈余公告信息含量;另外,投资者对重大会计差错更正临时披露信息是有反应的,核心盈余差错更正披露减少了此后四个季度的盈余公告信息含量。     

The Declining Value‐relevance of Accounting Information and Non‐Information‐based Trading: An Empirical Analysis*

Recently, a growing body of literature has suggested that financial statements have lost their value‐relevance because of a shift from a traditional capital‐intensive economy to a high‐technology, service‐oriented economy. These conclusions are based on studies that find a temporal decline in the association between stock prices and accounting information (earnings and book values). This paper empirically tests a theoretical prediction arising from the noisy rational expectations equilibrium model that suggests that the decline could be driven by non‐information‐based (NIB) trading activity, because such trading reduces the ability of stock prices to reflect accounting information. Specifically, Dontoh, Radhakrishnan, and Ronen (2004) show that when NIB trading increases, the R²s of a regression of stock price on accounting information declines. Our empirical tests confirm this prediction; that is, the decline in the association between stock prices and accounting information as measured by R²s is driven by an increase in NIB trading.     

中港会计准则的若干差异及对我国上市公司会计报表的影响

我国有许多同时发行A股股票和B股股票的企业，这些企业除应按《股份有限公司会计制度》和《企业会计准则》编制A股报表供我国境内投资者阅读外，还应同时披露根据国际会计准则（包括香港会计准则）编制的B股会计报表供镜外投资者阅读，而中、港会计准则的若干差异必定对上市公司报表产生深远的影响。     

试论国有投资公司不良债权的调整机制

我国有许多同时发行A股股票和B股股票的企业 ,这些公司除应按《股份有限公司会计制度》和《企业会计准则》编制A股报表供我国境内投资者阅读外 ,还应同时披露根据国际会计准则 (包括香港会计准则 编制的B股会计报表供境外投资者阅读 ,而中、港会计准则的若干差异必定对上市公     

Creditors’ and Shareholders’ Reporting Demands in Public Versus Private Firms: Evidence from Europe*

In this study we investigate whether the importance of accounting information in contracting and communication with shareholders and creditors affects earnings timeliness in publicly disclosed general‐purpose financial statements. To operationalize the relationship between timeliness demands and the importance of accounting information to shareholders and creditors, we compare the (asymmetry in) earnings timeliness of public firms with that of private firms. We attribute public versus private firm differences in timeliness to shareholders’ demands when a country’s institutions provide strong investor protection. Similarly, we attribute these differences to creditors’ demands when the institutions provide strong creditor protection. Our analysis of public and private firms in 13 Western European countries suggests that creditors and shareholders have different timeliness demands. In particular, we find that the public versus private firm difference in asymmetric timeliness is not associated with a country’s degree of investor protection but positively associated with a country’s degree of creditor protection. The results further suggest that shareholders demand symmetric rather than asymmetric timeliness. An important implication of our study is that general‐purpose financial statements are responsive to creditors’ reporting demands, which contrasts with the idea that these — primarily private — creditors would use special‐purpose reports.     

Foreign Currency Exposure of Multinational Firms: Accounting Measures and Market Valuation*

Abstract. The accounting method in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 8 for restatement of a foreign operation's financial statements denominated in a foreign currency into the parent's currency equivalents for inclusion in the parent company's financial statements was severely criticized by market participants and managers. Its replacement, SFAS No. 52, represented an attempt to improve on the methods of SFAS No. 8. This study examines two questions: did SFAS No. 8 produce relevant information for valuing US multinational firms, and are the results reported under SFAS No. 52 more valuation relevant than those reported under SFAS No. 8? Valuation relevance is studied because the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has stated that relevance is an important criterion for choosing among alternative accounting methods. Considered collectively, the results suggest that the rules in SFAS No. 8 produced a poor accounting measure for valuing US multinational firms, and that the introduction of SFAS No. 52 has resulted in a significant improvement in the valuation relevance of the accounting numbers associated with the restatement of a foreign operation's financial statements. However, this improvement applies only to the subset of firms that designated a foreign currency as their functional currency (i.e., switched to the current-rate method) and not to firms that designated the dollar as their functional currency (i.e., as if they still reported under SFAS No. 8).     

Commercial Lenders' Use of Accounting Information in Interaction with Source Credibility*

Abstract. The credibility of individual commercial borrowers, which lenders refer to as “character,” affects lenders' use of accounting information. This effect of source credibility is subtle compared to the effect of external audits on the use of financial statements in other contexts. It is hypothesized that accounting facts must be positive (supporting loan approval) for character facts to influence lenders' judgments and loan decisions. Character facts will not affect judgments or loan decisions significantly when accounting facts are negative (supporting loan denial). This accounting/character interaction is predicted to become stronger as lenders gain experience and develop criteria for evaluating character. In an experiment, lenders read a loan application that contained facts concerning accounting, character, and other information; the accounting and character facts were manipulated to be either positive or negative, resulting in four versions of the application. The lenders recommended approval or denial of the loan and estimated the likelihood that the loan would be fully repaid (a risk estimate). Interactive effects of accounting and character facts on lenders' loan decisions and risk estimates were found, but the accounting/character interactions generally did not vary with experience level. One notable difference was that experienced lenders never approved loans when accounting facts were negative, but inexperienced lenders sometimes did.     

博弈论对会计信息失真治理的启示

本文通过对博弈论中小偷与守卫模型进行分析得到启示,提出治理会计信息失真的重要举措是加大对审计部门及人员的惩处力度,并对当前我国惩处不力的现状、原因进行阐述,就如何加强对审计部门及人员的惩处力度也提出了一些参考性建议。     

论会计信息失真原因及对策的思考

提供可靠公允的会计信息是现代会计的基本目标,而目前国内外的会计信息失真问题已成为社会谴责的焦点,会计信息失真影响了投资者、债权人等会计信息使用者的微观决策及政府宏观经济决策,严重危害了国家、企业和社会公众的利益,因而有效解决会计信息失真问题具有重要的现实意义。     

企业碳资产管理财务核算问题研究

碳排放交易机制是应对气候变化与挑战有效的方法之一,在我国碳交易试点已经启动和全国碳交易市场正在筹建的背景下,建立统一的碳会计核算体系尤为重要。在对国内外最新研究成果进行回顾与梳理的基础上,论文对碳资产的确认与计量、会计假设、会计处理与信息披露方式,以及碳资产管理等问题进行了探讨。研究指出碳资产不应简单归于某种资产进行核算,应单独作为碳资产进行确认和计量,并新设"碳资产"会计科目,对于其出售部分,可以视为处置和转让,在资产负债表中进行体现,并编制相关财务报告,及时进行碳信息的披露。     

Activity of the Russian monetary and banking sector in conditions of adverse external factors of 2014–2015 affecting the economy

This article represents a discussion on how the adverse external factors of 2014–2015 affected the banking system and financial conditions of the real economy sector. The analysis is based on the data of bank accounting statements. The work also uses statistical data on the turnover and concentration obtained by aggregating the accounting statements available online on the Russian Central Bank’s official website.     

Accounting Recognition,Moral Hazard,and Communication*

Two complementary sources of information are studied in a multiperiod agency model. One is an accounting source that partially but credibly conveys the agent's private information through accounting recognition. The other is an unverified communication by the agent (i.e., a self‐report). In a simple setting with no communication, alternative labor market frictions lead to alternative optimal recognition policies. When the agent is allowed to communicate his or her private information, accounting signals serve as a veracity check on the agent's self‐report. Finally, such communication sometimes makes delaying the recognition optimal. We see contracting and confirmatory roles of accounting as its comparative advantage. As a source of information, accounting is valuable because accounting reports are credible, comprehensive, and subject to careful and professional judgement. While other information sources may be more timely in providing valuation information about an entity, audited accounting information, when used in explicit or implicit contracts, ensures the accuracy of the reports from nonaccounting sources.     

Integrated economic accounting

Summary The object of the paper is to present micro and macro accounting as an integrated conceptual body, logically derived from a limited number of basic assumptions. The are applied to an economy with five micro economic units: Households, Industries, Banks, Government and Rest of the World. The basic macro economic statement -to be called the National Transactions Table - is obtained as a systematic organization and consolidation of all the micro statements. The first macro statement derived from the National Transactions Table is the Generalized Equation of Exchange. With this, Fisher's Equation of Exchange is given, first, a logical foundation, second, its correct formulation both for its aggregated and disaggregated forms, and finally, the place that naturally corresponds to it in a social accounting system. Leaving for a moment the logical derivation of the macro accounting statements, some of the properties of the Generalized Equation of Exchange are explored. In particular, the properties of the sectoral velocities of circulation are analized. Returning to the accounting aspects of the study, the Flow of Funds, Input -Output, Income and Product and Savings and Investment statements are derived from the National Transactions Table and some of their properties are explored.The author wishes to express his appreciation to Prof. G. Gruver, Department of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, and to his students Mr. and Mrs. H. Braslavsky, for their cooperation in the preparation of this paper.     

日本会计制度的特点及对我国的启示

日本会计制度在较多吸收了别国先进经验的同时,也创造了自己鲜明的特色。本文介绍了日本会计制度在内容体系、会计报表、存货、研发费用、合并报表等几方面的特点及发展动向后,提出了对我国会计制度建设和完善的一些启示。     

会计信息质量量化评估的探讨——基于深交所的经验数据

会计信息质量的高低影响着企业发展的好坏,高质的会计信息对于企业、投资者、债权人和政府监管部门等相关方都是有益的。如何量化评估会计信息质量是一个复杂但又不得不面对的难题。国内外对此进行了广泛而深刻的研究,但至今仍没有形成统一的量化评估标准。本文通过构建会计信息质量量化评估模型,结合深交所的经验数据进行实证检验,对此难题进行了初步的探讨。     

风险投资的控制权分配与双边道德风险激励

在风险投资过程中,由于信息的不对称以及不确定因素的存在,努力的不对称性和对剩余索取权的安排使得风险投资家与创业企业家都有动机谋求私人收益,从而导致双边道德风险的形成。文章回顾了关于风险投资中双边道德风险的研究,为了克服单纯契约工具都不能完全解决风险投资中双边道德风险的问题,指出将可转换证券和控制权相机安排结合起来,可以为双方提供激励,解决风险投资中的双边道德风险问题。     

论我国地方政府间竞争的动态演变

本文论述了当前会计信息失真的原因 ,提出会计委派制并非解决会计信息失真问题的有效良策 ,并分析了解决会计信息失真的办法。