盈余管理与短期资产减值准备关系的实证研究

本文选取2009年—2012年我国A股的工业上市公司的数据,对上市公司盈余管理的动机与短期资产减值准备的关系进行了实证研究。研究发现:微利公司、配股达线公司倾向于少计提短期资产减值准备以避免亏损,亏损公司倾向于多计提减值准备进行盈余大冲洗,高盈利公司则利用资产减值准备进行利润平滑,而对于当年扭亏的上市公司则不存在利用短期资产减值准备进行扭亏的动机。     

盈余管理与短期资产减值准备关系的实证研究

本文选取2009年—2012年我国A股的工业上市公司的数据,对上市公司盈余管理的动机与短期资产减值准备的关系进行了实证研究。研究发现:微利公司、配股达线公司倾向于少计提短期资产减值准备以避免亏损,亏损公司倾向于多计提减值准备进行盈余大冲洗,高盈利公司则利用资产减值准备进行利润平滑,而对于当年扭亏的上市公司则不存在利用短期资产减值准备进行扭亏的动机。     

中国亏损上市公司第四季度盈余管理的实证研究

本文对中国A股上市公司是否在第四季度进行盈余管理以避免当年亏损或下一年亏损进行了实证研究,发现上市公司的确会在第四季度进行盈余管理来实现当年扭亏为盈或者调低利润,为下一年扭亏做好准备。因此审计师与投资者对上市公司第四季度的财务数据应该高度关注,并提高对会计信息质量的鉴别能力。     

我国亏损上市公司第四季度资产减值计提行为的实证研究

长期以来,资产减值已成为企业进行利润操纵的策略工具之一,同时也一直是国内外学者研究的一个热点.目前,对于资产减值与利润操纵的研究都是基于年度财务报告而进行的,很少有通过资产减值季度的分布情况来进行研究.本文以2007年-2009年沪深两市A股亏损上市公司为研究样本,考察亏损上市公司资产第四季度减值与利润操纵之间的关系,发现上市公司会选择在第四季度利用资产减值进行利润操纵,以避免当年亏损或为下一年扭亏为盈做准备.     

公司治理结构、盈余管理动机与长期资产减值转回——来自我国上市公司的经验证据

本文在新《资产减值准则》的研究框架下,结合公司治理理论,对我国上市公司的公司治理特征、盈余管理动机与长期资产减值转回相互关系进行了实证分析。本文以2001年至2004年所有A股上市公司为样本,实证研究发现:(1)董事会和总经理两职合一、管理层薪酬外部竞争优势弱化、未设置独立审计委员会的公司越倾向于长期资产减值转回进行盈余管理;(2)具有扭亏动机、配股动机的公司越倾向进行长期资产减值转回,具有大清洗动机和利润平滑动机的公司越倾向长期资产减值不转回;(3)未来收益能力和经济环境不影响长期资产减值转回。文章还对政府经济管理部门、上市公司监管部门、上市公司利益相关者及上市公司管理层提出了建议。     

中国亏损上市公司盈余管理实证研究

本文对中国亏损上市公司的盈余管理问题进行研究,发现亏损上市公司在首次亏损年度没有进行明显的调减利润的盈余管理,而在扭亏年度则进行了明显的调增利润的盈余管理。这表明,亏损上市公司为了避免出现连续亏损,为了防止公司股价持续降低会在扭亏年度进行盈余管理。     

应计利润和现金流量对股利决策影响的实证研究

本文首先从理论上分析了应计利润、现金流量对上市公司股利政策的影响作用，并提出了有关这种影响作用的假设；其次利用2003年上市公司的相关数据，验证了现金流量越好的公司越倾向于发放现金股利，应计利润越多的公司越倾向于发放股票股利。研究表明，股利可以起到一定信号传递的作用，特别是现金股利，可以帮投资者甄别品质不同的公司，促进上市公司的优胜劣汰，提高投资效益。     

中国上市公司金融工具投资收益的盈余管理研究

本文对《企业会计准则(2006)》执行后,中国上市公司利用投资收益进行盈余管理的问题进行了实证研究发现:亏损的上市公司,如果其主营业务业绩下滑、成长性不足,更倾向于通过持有较多金融资产,并有选择性地出售来实现扭亏;业绩下滑的上市公司更倾向于通过有选择性地出售金融资产获取投资收益来平滑利润。因此,对于非金融行业,将投资收益从营业利润构成项目中移除,单独进行披露;重新设计非金融行业投资收益项目的构成要素;重新规定相关投资收益的列示途径;继续强化综合收益观,完善其他综合收益项目的应用。     

股权分置、公司治理与股利分配决策：现金股利还是股票股利？

以2004~2007中国上市公司为样本,应用LOGISTIC回归对-股权分置改革前后我国上市公司股利分配决策进行理论与实证分析。结果表明,股权分置改革后,我国上市公司发放股票股利呈现增多的趋势,第一大股东、第二大股东持股比例越高,以及董事会人数越多,公司越倾向于现金股利分配,但机构投资者持股比例越高,越倾向于发放股票股利。同时,企业成长性强的公司倾向于发放股票股利,而现金流量好的公司往往不发放股票股利,企业规模与股票分配决策无关。     

我国上市公司盈余管理时间选择的实证研究

本文研究了我国上市公司在不同季度进行盈余管理的时间选择行为。我们首先采用可操控性应计利润来识别上市公司中期报告中的盈余管理行为,然后进一步通过考察季度间盈余反转来识别。研究结果表明,我国上市公司虽在各个季度都存在盈余管理行为,但第四季度利润中包含了比其他季度更多的盈余管理行为。特别的,巨额冲销的公司在第四季度进行盈余管理调低利润,前三季度表现欠佳而年末好转的公司在第四季度通过盈余管理调高利润。     

Implications of the integral approach and earnings management for alternate annual reporting periods

We compare the last 12 months’ earnings ending in quarter four (i.e., fiscal year earnings), three, two and one. Lipe and Bernard (2000) offer two competing explanations for higher volatility in fourth quarter earnings relative to other quarters. First, under the integral approach, any estimation errors in the earlier quarters are corrected through fourth quarter earnings, which could make them more volatile. Second, earnings management concentrated in the fourth quarter renders fourth quarter earnings more volatile. While both explanations have similar implications for the properties of quarterly earnings, their implications differ for the properties of annual earnings ending in each quarter. Our result comparing earnings variability is more consistent with earnings management than the integral approach. We examine the relative earnings attributes and find that fiscal year earnings attributes rank lower. Finally, we re-investigate the accrual anomaly and find that the accrual anomaly is more pronounced for fiscal year earnings.     

Intraday Stock Price Reactions to Interim-Quarter versus Fourth-Quarter Earnings Announcements

This study investigates intraday patterns of quarterly return-earnings relations. We find that fourth quarter announcements exhibit a lower earnings response coefficient but a more rapid adjustment to new equilibrium levels of prices and a higher R2 than interim quarter announcements. While prior short event window studies document that interim quarter earnings have greater explanatory power than fourth quarter earnings or annual earnings, our analysis indicates that the prior results may be driven by the use of two-day event window that is much wider than what it takes for the market to adjust to fourth quarter announcements.     

On the Market Reaction to Revenue and Earnings Surprises

Abstract:  This study extends Ertimur et al. (2003) and Jegadeesh and Livnat (2006a) by providing a contextual framework for the information content of revenue and earnings surprises. I find that the influence of earnings surprises (revenue surprises) on stock returns is lower (higher) in R&D intensive companies. Also, market reaction to earnings surprises is lower in the fourth quarter, and to revenue surprises it is higher in industries with oligopolistic competition. A comprehensive analysis indicates that, in contrast to previous studies for the full sample, in several contexts market reaction to earnings surprises is not higher than to revenue surprises.     

Three Common Misconceptions About Markets (or Why Earnings Smoothing,Guidance, and Concern About Meeting Consensus Estimates are Likely to be Counterproductive)

Although many executives strive for stable earnings growth, finance theory and research have long suggested that the most sophisticated investors aren't especially concerned about “normal” levels of variability in reported earnings. More recent research by the authors and their McKinsey colleagues also suggests that extraordinary efforts to achieve steady growth in earnings per share quarter after quarter aren't worthwhile and may actually hurt the companies that undertake them. While such efforts to smooth earnings involve real costs, the research finds no meaningful relationship between earnings variability and valuation multiples or shareholder returns. Based on these findings, as well as considerable experience in advising companies, the authors offer the following advice to senior executives:

• Managers shouldn't shape their earnings targets or budgets just to meet consensus estimates. Companies that reduce spending on product development, sales and marketing, or other contributors to long‐term growth are sacrificing long‐term performance for the appearance of short‐term strength.
• As the year progresses, managers should likewise avoid costly, shortsighted actions to meet the consensus. Resist the temptation to offer customers end‐of‐year discounts to boost current‐year sales, or to resort to creative accounting with accruals. Investors recognize these for what they are: borrowing from next year's earnings.

Finally, companies should reconsider the practice of quarterly earnings guidance. Instead of providing frequent earnings guidance, companies should design their investor communication policies to help the market to understand their strategy, the underlying value drivers of their business, and the most important risks associated with the business—in short, to understand the long‐term health and value of the enterprise.     

资产减值:稳健性还是盈余管理

本文研究了我国上市公司资产减值的计提动机。很多研究已发现减值准备的两种计提动机:经济因素和盈余管理因素,但本文发现,稳健性因素也能影响资产减值准备的计提。在同样的毁损情况下,"坏消息"公司将比"好消息"公司计提更多的减值准备。此外,本文还发现,在利用减值准备进行利润操纵时,盈余管理动机的不同会影响减值类型的选择。扭亏和大清洗公司会采取各种类型减值准备进行盈余管理,而平滑和管理层变更公司只使用长期资产减值准备,而且是不影响营业利润的减值准备。     

Audit committee accounting expertise,expectations management,and nonnegative earnings surprises

We investigate whether accounting expertise on audit committees curtails expectations management to avoid negative earnings surprises. Controlling for the endogenous choice of an accounting expert, we find that firms with an accounting expert serving on the audit committee exhibit: (1) less expectations management to avoid negative earnings surprises; (2) less nonnegative earnings surprises through expectations management; and (3) more nonnegative earnings surprises that are less susceptible to manipulations of both realized earnings and earnings expectations. We find, however, that the inclusion of an accounting expert on the audit committee curtails expectations management only in the interim quarters. While Brown and Pinello (2007) find a greater magnitude of downward revisions in analysts’ forecasts in the fourth quarter, they also document a lower incidence of nonnegative earnings surprises. Together, this suggests that with an accounting expert, audit committees likely view the fourth quarter downward revisions as driven more by guidance than by manipulation, thus focusing on curbing only expectations management in interim quarters.     

The use of advertising activities to meet earnings benchmarks: evidence from monthly data

Using a unique database of monthly media advertising spending, we examine whether managers engage in real earnings management to meet quarterly financial reporting benchmarks. We extend prior literature by (1) separately analyzing advertising activities, allowing us to explore the possibility that managers could reduce or boost advertising to meet benchmarks; (2) analyzing actual activities as opposed to inferring them from reported expenses, which are also subject to accrual choices; (3) investigating the timing, within a quarter, of altered advertising spending; and (4) examining quarterly earnings benchmarks. We find that managers, on average, reduce advertising spending to avoid losses and earnings decreases. However, we also report that firms in the late stages of their life cycle increase advertising to meet earnings benchmarks. Finally, we find some evidence that firms increase advertising in the third month of a fiscal quarter and in the fourth quarter to beat prior year’s earnings.     

Information Quality of Interim Financial Statements

Expressing concern about the Canadian capital market environment, Boritz (2006) suggested that the accounting and auditing profession may be paying limited attention to quarterly reports. This study investigates whether fourth‐quarter adjustments are significantly different from the previous three, thereby limiting the reliability or faithful representation of the firms' results for each quarter. This study includes four years (2003–2006) of quarterly financial information of 353 Canadian public companies. Our results indicate that the volatility of net income in each of the first three quarters is considerably lower than in the final quarter. While lower volatility can improve predictability, the resulting relevance may be limited. The low volatility of reported earnings in the first three quarters suggests that either earnings management is taking place or that management may not be exercising sufficient care at the end of each of the first three quarters on the measurements that generally accepted accounting principles call for and readers of financial statements expect. This could result in quarterly financial statements that do not faithfully represent the underlying resources and obligations of the reporting firms at the end of the quarter, or the firm's performance during the quarter. Our findings support Boritz's proposition for increased audit requirements for interim reports and changes in the approach to the annual audit to integrate it more closely with interim financial reporting.