异质机构投资者持股对上市公司盈余持续性的影响研究

通过对我国A股市场数据的实证检验和分析,检验不同类型的机构投资者持股行为对公司盈余持续性的影响.研究发现,我国A股市场上市公司存在盈余持续性,并且现金流量的持续性要高于会计应计的持续性;机构投资者持股比例越高,公司盈余持续性越强;独立机构投资者持股比例大的公司盈余持续性较强,非独立机构投资者持股比例对上市公司盈余持续性无显著影响;机构投资者持股集中度越高的公司盈余持续性越强.     

应计利润、现金流量对盈余持续性影响的实证研究

本文以A股建筑业作为研究样本,选取2007-2011年的数据研究了历史盈余、应计利润和经营性现金流量对盈余持续性的影响。研究的结果表明,我国建筑业上市公司的应计利润存在着系统性计量偏差;我国建筑业上市公司的盈余持续性较低,且应计利润的持续性偏低;修正后的应计利润的持续性偏低。     

继任审计师关注前任审计师的声誉吗?——前任会计师事务所的审计质量与可操控性应计利润

本文讨论了前任会计师事务所的审计质量对公司更换审计师以后可操控性应计利润的影响。我们发现,四大对国内非四大转过来的新客户更加谨慎。这些客户在接受四大审计的第一年,可操控性应计利润水平显著低于四大所审计的其他公司,包括从其他四大转来的公司。这说明,四大已经在客观上提高了前非四大客户的审计风险。但是对于非四大而言,则没有这种差异,无论新客户的前任审计师是四大还是非四大,其所审客户的整体可操控性应计利润水平没有显著差异。本文的研究结果表明在一定程度上国内事务所对前任事务所审计风险的敏感度低于四大。     

盈余管理、盈余持续性和盈余质量——评“增长、盈余管理和应计持续性”

自从2000年以来，对会计信息质量的研究成为我国会计界的热门话题。盈余持续性是衡量会计信息质量的一个重要指标。对于这方面的研究，Sloan（1996）的研究是一篇开启先河的经典之作。该文发现，盈余中的应计部分比现金流量部分具有更低的持续性。因而在对下一年度盈余的预测能力方面，应计利润显著低于现金流，也就是说盈余中应计部分的比例越高，盈余的持续性越差，盈余的质量也就越低。这一结论显然是符合人们的直觉的。     

增长、盈余管理和应计持续性

本文首先沿用了Sloan（1996）的方法，研究中国上市公司是否存在盈余的应计成分持续性低于盈余现金流成分的现象，然后试图分离增长和盈余管理对应计成分持续性的影响，在对混合样本回归中发现，增长的均值回归过程对应计成分低持续性的解释能力强于盈余管理。我们发现。当期和下一年管理者的盈余管理行为都对盈余和应计持续性有显著的影响，当期非正常应计无论是正是负都将降低应计的持续性，而下一期非正常应计如果为正则会增加应计的持续性，如果为负则会降低应计的持续性。我们还发现，当期正的正常应计对应计持续性具有正向的影响，这似乎与一般常识相悖。我们试图以企业的存货行为来解释这一现象。但我们的假设只得到了部分实证证据的支持。     

审计师选择与IPO公司盈余稳健性

以2002~2012年我国1337家 A 股 IPO 公司为样本,实证检验了审计师选择与 IPO 公司盈余稳健性的关系。研究发现：国际四大审计的 IPO 公司的营业利润、利润总额、净利润和综合收益的稳健性均显著低于非四大审计的 IPO 公司的盈余稳健性,但本土十大与非十大审计的 IPO 公司之间的盈余稳健性不存在显著差异。     

应计项目、现金流量与会计盈余质量

本文以1999～2010年中国A股上市公司的年报数据为基础,将会计盈余分解为应计项目和现金流量,从3个方面考察了上市公司应计项目、现金流量与会计信息质量的关系:(1)应计项目与现金流量的价值相关性。(2)应计项目和现金流量的持续性。(3)应计项目持续性与价值相关性的关系。研究结果表明:应计项目变化趋势与会计制度变化密切相关;应计项目和现金流量都具有增量价值相关性,现金流量的价值相关性和持续性均大于应计项目;应计项目大小与其持续性的关系呈现明显的倒"U"型关系,充分表明了应计项目的反转特性;应计项目持续性与价值相关性之间存在显著的正相关关系,表明应计项目的价值相关性与持续性一致,能够较好地反映会计信息质量的高低。     

盈余管理方式与审计师风险感知研究

以2009~2013年沪深两市 A 股上市公司为样本,研究应计盈余管理和真实盈余管理对审计师风险感知的影响,研究结论表明,审计师既能感知到应计盈余管理行为带来的风险,同时还能感知到真实盈余管理行为的风险,并会从审计意见类型和审计费用两个方面采取风险应对措施。相较于有限责任制会计师事务所,特殊普通合伙制会计师事务所的审计师对盈余管理行为的风险感知更敏感。     

约束条件、IPO盈余管理方式与公司业绩——基于应计盈余管理与真实盈余管理的研究

IPO盈余管理问题一直是资本市场研究的热点议题之一,本文考察了IPO企业的盈余管理方式及其对公司业绩的影响,并进一步探讨了在一定约束条件下,不同盈余管理方式对发行定价的作用。研究发现,IPO企业不仅实施了应计盈余管理,而且实施了真实盈余管理;IPO企业对盈余管理方式的选择是在发行价最大化原则下权衡的结果,当公司面临的法律保护水平较低、处于管制行业、审计师为非国际"四大"时,选择真实盈余管理更有利于提高股票发行价。此外,本文发现不同盈余管理方式对公司未来业绩的影响存在一定的差异,应计盈余管理主要影响公司的短期业绩,而真实盈余管理将会对公司的长期业绩产生较大影响。     

真实盈余管理与审计师认知

本文以2008-2013年A股上市公司为对象,考察审计师对真实盈余管理的认知。具体探讨:审计师能否识别真实盈余管理;审计师对真实盈余管理客户的辞聘或保留决策选择;以及审计师应对真实盈余管理带来风险的策略等三个问题。研究表明,审计师能够识别真实盈余管理,并将真实盈余管理作为风险因素在审计定价决策中加以考虑;会计师事务所对真实盈余管理带来的风险现阶段整体可控,事务所倾向于采取客户保留决策;事务所主要通过审计师付出额外的努力和更换审计团队两种策略来降低审计风险。本文的研究结果为理解审计师对真实盈余管理的认知提供了直接的经验证据,对于从审计角度强化真实盈余管理的监管提供了政策参考依据。     

信息可靠性、企业成长性与会计盈余持续性

本文以我国2001至2006年期间上市公司为研究对象,延续FWY和RSST的方法,考察信息可靠性和企业成长性对应计利润持续性较差现象的解释力。我们采用经营资产利润率与经营资产现金获取率的均方差计量信息可靠性。研究发现,企业成长性越好,信息失真值越高;会计扭曲越严重,应计利润的持续性越差;信息可靠性越高(低),会计盈余持续性越高(低);应计利润和现金收益整体对下一期的会计盈余预测能力越强(弱),会计盈余持续性检验模型的解释力越高(低);应计利润较现金收益的持续性差,且这种现象不因信息可靠性高或低而改变。     

An Empirical Investigation of Goodwill in Austria: Evidence on Management Change and Cost of Capital

This study assesses whether new chief executive officers (CEOs) or CEOs in their early tenure carry out goodwill impairments more intensively than senior CEOs. Further, it investigates the relationship between cost of capital and goodwill, as well as whether companies that report goodwill and are audited by a Big 4 auditor display lower cost of capital. The findings show that a change in CEO does not significantly lead to higher goodwill impairments. Using Austria as a case study, the study finds that, in the years of their early tenure, CEOs in Austria generally do not adopt goodwill impairment‐related opportunistic behaviours. This study indicates that companies that have carried out goodwill impairment tend to display higher cost of capital, reflecting the potential uncertainty about their future prospects and cash generating ability. The findings show that companies that report goodwill and are audited by a Big 4 auditor tend to display lower cost of capital.     

Subjectivity in fair-value estimates,audit quality,and informativeness of other comprehensive income

This study empirically examines whether difference in audit quality is reflected in the pricing of other comprehensive income (OCI). Specifically, we first investigate whether OCI measures of Big 4 clients are more value-relevant than those of non-Big 4 clients. Considering different degrees of subjective management judgment involved in the OCI reporting process, we then explore whether the differential valuation effect of OCI between Big 4 and non-Big 4 clients is more pronounced for more subjective OCI components (e.g., minimum pension liability and foreign currency-translation adjustment) than a less subjective component (e.g., marketable securities adjustment). We predict that the aggregate OCI of a Big 4 client is more value-relevant than that of a non-Big 4 client. We also hypothesize that the differential valuation effect between Big 4 and non-Big 4 clients can be attributed to the amount of subjective assumption and judgment required in estimating OCI. Consistent with our predictions, we find that aggregate OCI audited by a Big 4 auditor has incremental information content over earnings, compared to OCI audited by a non-Big 4 auditor. More interestingly, our results also show that the differential valuation effect between Big 4 and non-Big 4 clients is stronger for OCI components of a more subjective nature. Our results are robust even after controlling for self-selection bias, the potential effect of the financial crisis, and other related effects.     

Discretionary Loan Loss Provisions and Systemic Risk in the Banking Industry

This study examines the relation between earnings management through discretionary loan loss provisions (LLPs) and systemic risk in the U. S. banking sector using a large sample of commercial banks from 1996 to 2009. We find that earnings management increases a bank's contribution to systemic crash risk and systemic distress risk, consistent with the notion that earnings management increases information opacity, facilitates bad news hoarding, co‐moves with macroeconomic conditions, and exhibits cross‐sectional correlation and herding in earnings management. However, the effect of earnings management through discretionary LLPs on systemic risk disappears during the crisis period, consistent with weakened earnings management in crisis times. We also find that the same effect strengthens with bank uncertainty and homogenous loans, and weakens in the post‐SOX period, and when banks are audited by Big 4 auditors.     

Financial crisis and accounting quality: Evidence from five European countries

This study investigates how the economic crisis affects the scope for earnings manipulation and the value relevance of reported financial numbers for companies that are audited by a big 4 auditor. The analysis is focused on Portuguese, Irish, Italian, Greek and Spanish listed companies. The findings show that Portugal, Italy and Greece tend to engage more in earnings management in their effort to improve their lower profitability and liquidity, and accommodate their higher debt and growth. Ireland exhibits less evidence of earnings manipulation, while the findings for Spain are to some extent conflicting. Additionally, the reported financial numbers of Portuguese and Greek companies that are audited by a big 4 auditor were found to be of higher quality before the crisis. In contrast, Irish, Italian and Spanish companies report more value relevant financial numbers during the crisis. The results of this study are particularly useful for accounting regulators when preparing accounting rules that seek to reduce information asymmetry and earnings manipulation and increase the quality of reported disclosures in light of a crisis and for investors that need further assistance for the establishment of a profitable investment strategy in periods characterized by high uncertainty and volatility.     

On the persistence and dynamics of Big 4 real audit fees: Evidence from the UK

Despite the huge audit pricing literature, there is a dearth of evidence on the temporal dynamics of audit fee adjustments and the persistence of audit fees. Based on a sample of 76,867 panel observations for a sample of UK companies audited by the Big 4 over the period 1998 to 2012, we employ consistent lagged dependent variable panel estimators to provide new evidence on the persistence and dynamics of real Big 4 audit fees. Contrary to extant research, which assumes that audit fees adjust immediately in a single period, our empirical results indicate that Big 4 real audit fees are persistent, being partly dependent on their previous realisations. We conclude that static audit fee models omit a potentially important temporal dimension of audit pricing behaviour and that further research is warranted into dynamic audit fee models across other jurisdictions.     

Changes in Cash: Persistence and Pricing Implications

This paper decomposes the cash component of earnings and analyzes persistence characteristics and pricing implications of various subcomponents, with particular attention to changes in cash. Changes in underlying fundamentals might dictate changes in cash to new optimal levels. Alternatively, suboptimal changes in cash might result from agency costs allowing managers’ actions to diverge from the best interests of shareholders. We predict and find that both suboptimal increases and decreases in cash bode poorly for future earnings. In fact, we find that suboptimal increases (decreases) in cash have less (greater) persistence than any of the earnings components we study, including accruals and net distributions to both shareholders and debt holders. Market efficiency tests indicate that the market severely punishes firms with suboptimal decreases in cash, but we find no evidence to support the hubris hypothesis that the market overreacts to the earnings implications of unwarranted increases in cash.     

Financial crisis,GDP variation and earnings management in Europe

The purpose of this study is to examine the consequences of the financial crisis on the European companies’ in conjunction with earnings management practice. It focuses on financially distressed companies that audited by a big 4 auditor during recession years. The study makes use of discretionary accruals as a proxy for earnings management and studies the influence of big 4 auditor, in order to shed more light on possible causes for shifting earnings. The findings of the study provide evidence that financially distressed companies that audited by a big 4 auditor exhibit lower discretionary accruals. The results reveal that Greek and Spanish companies reduce earnings management manipulation during recession. In contrast, Portuguese, Irish and Italian companies show mixed results. They tend to reduce earnings management practices, but there are reasons that influence managers’ behavior to increase earnings management. The findings of this study can be useful for both investors and standard setting authorities.     

FURTHER EVIDENCE ON EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EARNINGS AND CASH FLOWS

Recently in Australia, regulations have been proclaimed requiring companies to make cashflow disclosures in addition to earnings disclosures from 30 June 1992. This paper provides evidence on relationships between earnings and cash flow measures and in so doing examines the external validity of a U.S.A. study of these relationships by Bowen, Burgstahler and Daley [1986]. We also extend their study through an industry analysis of the relationships. Evidence is presented first that shows low correlations between traditional cash flow measures (i.e., net income plus depreciation and amortisation; and working capital from operations) and a more refined cash flow measure (with additional adjustments for changes in non-cash current assets and current liabilities). Second, traditional cash flow measures exhibit high correlations with earnings, while the more refined cash flow measure has a lower correlation with earnings. Finally, traditional cash flow measures better predict future cash flows than models based on earnings or a more refined cash flow measure. The industry evidence, albeit on small sample sizes, shows that the results on the first two issues, but not the latter issue, are generalisable across industry categories.     

The Persistence and Pricing of the Cash Component of Earnings

Prior research shows that the cash component of earnings is more persistent than the accrual component. We decompose the cash component into: (1) the change in the cash balance, (2) issuances/distributions to debt, and (3) issuances/distributions to equity. We find that the higher persistence of the cash component is entirely due to the subcomponent related to equity. The other subcomponents have persistence levels almost identical to accruals. We investigate whether investors understand the implications of the differential persistence of the three subcomponents. Our results suggest that investors correctly price debt and equity issuances/distributions but misprice the change in the cash balance in a similar manner to accruals. Our tests enable us to empirically distinguish the “accrual” and “external financing” anomalies with results implying that the accrual anomaly subsumes the external financing anomaly. Our results also suggest that naive fixation on earnings is unlikely to be a complete explanation for the accrual anomaly. Our findings are more consistent with investors misunderstanding diminishing returns to new investments.