Asset Measurement in Imperfect Credit Markets

How should a firm measure a productive asset used as collateral? To answer this question, we develop a model in which firms borrow funds subject to collateral constraints. We characterize the qualities of optimal asset measurements and analyze their interactions with financing needs, collateral constraints, and interest rates. Because of real effects, complete transparency would reduce contracting efficiency and, hence, the measurement must be suitably adapted to credit conditions. The optimal measurement is asymmetric and reports precise information about high collateral values if credit frictions are low, but the reverse if credit frictions are high. Tighter credit market conditions may lead to more opaque measurements and increased investment, in the form of inefficient continuations.     

Harmonization of Accounting in France and Britain: Some Evidence

The European Community's accounting harmonization initiative is intended to create harmonized reporting by Community companies. If the Community's programme is successful, measurement practices in each member state should be such that the same transactions receive broadly comparable treatment irrespective of the country where the accounts are prepared. This study sets out to test whether this is the case in France and Britain and the application of the Fourth Directive, and whether in practice there is any consensus even within each jurisdiction. An empirical test for harmony and uniformity is made by asking accountants within each jurisdiction to compile financial statements from a common set of data.
The results of the test show that in this sample there is relatively little harmony within each national group, let alone between one jurisdiction and another.     

An Empirical Investigation of Accounting Methods for Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets: 1985 to 1989

Accounting for intangible assets represents one of the more controversial accounting standards issues. This study examines the accounting policies adopted for goodwill and for identifiable intangible assets by a sample of 150 Australian Stock Exchange listed companies over the five-year period 1985 to 1989 inclusive. Findings reveal a general decrease in the diversity of goodwill accounting policies over the study period but the converse for identifiable intangible policies. In particular, an increase in the percentage of companies electing not to amortize identifiable intangibles was found. The study provides evidence to support claims that companies have been recognizing identifiable intangibles to reduce the impact on reported operating profits of the requirement of accounting standards for the amortization of goodwill.     

The Effects of Alternative Methods of Accounting for Leases – An Experimental Study

A report of an experiment testing analysts' reactions to alternative ways of reporting lease commitments. Results indicate that reporting methods affect the behaviour of financial analysts in projecting earnings, but not in share valuations.     

论会计准则制定中的政府间博弈

会计准则具有经济后果,产生于不同会计准则的不同会计信息,会因此影响各利益集团的利益分配。因此会计准则的制定不是一种纯技术过程,而是各利益集团多次博弈达成的均衡结果。本文基于博弈论的视角,深入分析了会计准则制定中的政府间博弈,并就我国会计准则的国际趋同提出了一些建议。     

森林生态效益外部性会计计量的能值分析模式

能值分析理论与方法应用于森林生态效益外部性计量的基本思路是，通过对森林生态系统的能流分析，将森林生态效益生态因子量经由能值转换率转化为同一标准的太阳能值，再结合本地区的能值／货币比得到森林生态效益及外部性价值。对江苏连云港墟沟林场的案例研究显示，该林场2003年的森林生态效益能值主要体现在保土、涵养水源和防风效益。     

中日证券市场几个重要问题的比较研究

本文系统地比较研究了中国和日本证券市场的多个问题,从数据挖掘和计量经济学角度分别针对价格序列、价格波动性和周内效应三方面对中日证券市场进行分析,得出指数收盘价时间序列比较方面,中国和日本两个证券市场的确存在一定的相似性,但中国市场的短期波动要大于日本市场;中国证券市场中上海和深圳股市的波动具有很强的波动聚类性和持续性,日本证券市场除了过去的方差记忆,还存在其他未知的影响市场变动的因素;周内效应在两国的体现不同等一系列重要结论。     

保险上市公司会计信息披露:基于"四性"的研究

保险公司上市后,其会计信息的公开披露成为保险公司必须履行的一项强制性义务.现已颁布的相关法律和制度,对此提出了新的要求,而目前保险上市公司会计信息披露缺乏真实性、充分性、及时性和主动性.因此,应尽快推行新企业会计准则,提高会计信息披露的规范化建设,健全公司治理结构,强化对保险公司的监管和审计.     

Finance and Macroeconomic Performance. Some Evidence for Emerging Markets

This paper examines whether financial-sector development in several emerging markets affects their real economic activity. Results from cointegration and error correction models suggest that financial deepening (alternatively measured) exerts a robust longterm stimulating effect on real economic activity (both overall and sectoral) in all countries examined. However, short-term effects of financial deepening prove generally nonexistent, or tenuous at best. The results suggest that improving the structure and operation of the financial sector in emerging markets does stimulate real growth, but only if such improvement persists over a prolonged period of time.     

中国会计准则与国际财务报告准则趋同程度——资产计价准则的经验检验

本文创新性地修订了Jaccard系数以使其适于全面衡量准则趋同程度,首次在国内区别准则“缺失”和“分歧”两种情况并借助该两种趋同度指标进一步揭示了准则差异的不同成因,进而发现它们与修订Jaccard系数三者之间的逻辑关系;首次使用详细的准则精准对比点,主要以资产计价相关准则为检验对象,分阶段定量考察了1998年以来中国会计准则（CAS）与国际财务报告准则（IFRS）的趋同程度及其变化趋势。研究结果表明,至少在所考察的准则方面,CAS与IFRS之间的趋同程度有了显著提高且在总体上实现了实质性趋同,目前绝大部分准则比较项目已达到高度趋同,但仍在少数领域存在细微差异;从差异的成因来看,一方准则缺乏相关规定所致差异是主因,两套准则规定不同所致差异则居次要地位;鉴于我国现阶段转型经济特征,CAS与IFRS的差异应属适度。     

解析会计计量属性选择对财务分析的影响

由于经济高速发展,企业组织和经济业务日益复杂,根据资产的性质选择不同的计量属性进行计量已经成为现代财务会计的必然选择。因为选择的计量属性不同,财务报告所反映出的结果存在差异,历史成本计量属性,在通货膨胀的情况下,会失去资产计量的客观性,非历史成本计量属性虽然理论上更加符合决策的要求,但是如果没有有力的监管,也会给经营者留下很大的利润操作空间。经过严格监管的非历史成本计量属性的选择可以给使用者提供更加丰富的财务分析指标。     

The Influence of U.S. GAAP on the Harmony of Accounting Measurement Policies of Large Companies in the U.K. and Australia

U.S. GAAP has increasingly become an influence on accounting practices in other countries, even aside from those traditionally considered under direct U.S. influence. The change arises from the large number of U.S. accounting standards, non-U.S. companies listing on U.S. stock exchanges, and the amount of U.S. direct investment abroad. As the impact of U.S. GAAP varies across countries, it may affect international accounting harmony. This idea is tested by examining the level of international harmony for eleven accounting measurement policies in matched pairs of large companies from Australia and the U.K., two countries with historically strong cultural and economic links. It is argued that, in recent decades, accounting practice in Australia, more so than in the U.K., has become increasingly U.S.-oriented. The concepts of harmony of Tay and Parker (1990) and Archer et al . (1996) are employed. International harmony is measured by the between-country C index and chi-square test; national harmony by van der Tas's (1988) H index. While considerable national harmony is found in the U.K. for seven and in Australia for five accounting policies, there is considerable or complete international harmony for only three policies. Evidence is presented of the influence of U.S. GAAP as one factor explaining the poor degree of U.K./Australia international harmony. Australian companies appear to follow U.S. GAAP to a greater extent than do U.K. companies. The state of partial harmony thus existing restricts international comparability of accounting reports and may cause problems for regulators.     

Multi‐period Asset Lifetimes and Accounting‐based Equity Valuation: Take Care with Constant‐growth Terminal Value Models!

The merits of accruals in forecasting cash flows or mitigating the volatility of financials shortly after the valuation date are indisputable. However, the usefulness of accounting in equity valuation is very limited if we step beyond a certain forecasting horizon. In this paper, this limitation is emphasized by shedding new light on the accounting‐based value driver model (VDM), a widely used constant‐growth terminal value tool that uses accounting variables as input. The paper shows that, if the lifetime of a firm's assets is, on average, longer than one period, the VDM works accurately only in an idealized academic environment with an even historical corporate investment activity, a single depreciation method for all assets, and no historical inflation volatility. Artificially adjusting real‐world figures to this steady state is possible in principle, but bloats the valuation model and requires exactly the same information that is used in our cash flow‐driven benchmark model (where no adjustment phase is necessary). Beyond these theoretical shortcomings, the VDM is also prone to being misused in valuation practice due to its reliance on book (rather than economic) rates of return, and to its shortcomings in dealing adequately with the assets with an ex ante indefinite lifetime.     

Accounting policies in the public sector: Characteristics and consequences of accounting for capital assets

We study the evolution of American state and local governments’ capital asset accounting policies from the initial adoption of Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 34 through the fiscal year ending in 2016. We document substantial cross-sectional and time-series variation in capital asset accounting policies, which potentially diminishes the comparability of capital asset accounting information across governments and over time. We also explore the economic implications of those policies in terms of capital investment decisions and capital asset condition ratios, as reported in governments’ annual financial reports. Our findings, which are relevant to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and its constituents, extend prior research examining the adoption and application of generally accepted accounting principles in the public sector.     

Some issues in blockchain for accounting and the supply chain,with an application of distributed databases to virtual organizations

This paper reviews some recent blockchain‐based applications for information capture, distribution and preservation. As part of that review, this paper examines two key concerns with current blockchain designs for accounting and supply chain transactions: data independence and multiple semantic models for the same information distribution problem. Blockchain applications typically integrate database, application and presentation tiers all in the same ledger. This results in a general inability to query information in the ledger and other concerns. Further, since most applications appear to be private blockchain applications, there is a concern of agents needing to accommodate multiple blockchains depending on who their trading partners are and what they request. Finally, this paper uses a distributed database to design a ‘blockchain‐like’ system for virtual organizations.