VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE OF ACCOUNTING RATIOS IN THE UK

This paper investigates whether the voluntary disclosure of ratios in corporate annual reports can be explained by agency and signalling theory. The two theories are discussed and the applicability to explaining ratio disclosures considered. Drawing on agency and signalling theory, seven hypotheses are tested using data collected over five years, for 313 UK companies. More specifically, associations are considered between ratio disclosure and the following characteristics: company profitability; return on investment; gearing; liquidity; company efficiency; size and industry. The paper finds some evidence of an association between ratio disclosure and company performance, size and industry. The implications of these findings are considered and areas of further research discussed.     

VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE OF SEGMENT INFORMATION: FURTHER AUSTRALIAN EVIDENCE

This study provides further empirical evidence on incentives for Australian firms to voluntarily report segment information. Various economic reasons why firms may elect to present segment information have been hypothesised in previous research. Bradbury [1992] and McKinnon and Dalimunthe [1993] found firm size, minority interest and industry membership as significant identifiable characteristics motivating voluntary segmental disclosure. Variables found to be insignificant in Bradbury [1992] which were not examined by McKinnon and Dalimunthe [1993] are tested in this paper. Hypotheses relating to size, financial leverage, assets-in-place, earnings volatility, ownership diffusion, outside equity (minority) interest, overseas association as well as diverse and mining and oil classification hypotheses are empirically examined. Univariate tests and multivariate logit analysis suggest that for a extensive sample of diversified firms, voluntary segment disclosure is significantly related to size, leverage and involvement in mining or oil activities.     

VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL SEGMENT DATA: NEW ZEALAND EVIDENCE

This paper reports on the voluntary financial disclosure of segment data by New Zealand companies and relates the extent of quantified segment disclosure to firm-specific characteristics. The extent of voluntary segment disclosure varies across a sample of 29 firms listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. The extent of quantified segment disclosure is significantly related to firm size, financial leverage, but not to assets in place, earnings volatility or a the importance of foreign funding to the firm.     

VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE OF SEGMENT INFORMATION BY AUSTRALIAN DIVERSIFIED COMPANIES

This paper reports an examination of economic incentives motivating listed diversified companies in Australia to voluntarily disclose segment information. The study is based on a sample of 65 listed diversified companies. Support is found for ownership diffusion, the level of minority interest in subsidiaries, firm size and industry membership as factors influencing the voluntary disclosure of segment information. No support is found for leverage or diversification into related versus unrelated industries.     

A JUDGEMENTAL INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FINANCIAL REPORTING PRACTICES

This paper briefly surveys some recent "empirical" international classifications. It suggests that their data contains errors and is not designed for classification, and that their methodology relies upon the doubtful data to generate hypotheses rather than to test them. This paper proposes a hypothetical classification which is more detailed and defines its universe more precisely than previous research. The testing selects factors deemed to represent fundamental aspects of difference in measurement practices, and scores these overtly and with explanation. Analysis is performed in several ways, including computer-assisted clustering techniques. The results seem to confirm the hypothetical classification, and to be consistent with (but more detailed than) some earlier classifications.     

INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION LOCATION AND PRO FORMA FINANCIAL HEDGING OF EXCHANGE RATE RISK

There are many considerations in a firm's choice of where to locate a production facility. One of the least understood is the implication of foreign exchange risk. The issue is complex because, in addition to the concept of operational hedging, managers must also consider economic exposure and, in cases with foreign competitors, competitive exposure. As shown in this article, a firm's competitive exposure to exchange rate changes depends upon the location of its competitors' plants as well as its own.
The currency exposures of various international production strategies are demonstrated using hypothetical scenarios. The scenarios can also be used to perform a pro forma financial hedging analysis of currency exposure in simple three-outcome cases. By implicitly accounting for the market's pricing of exchange rate risk, the financial hedging analysis provides a straightforward way for managers to evaluate various international production possibilities.     

INTERIM REPORTING PRACTICES BY COMPANIES IN BAHRAIN: PREPARATION OF INTERIM ACCOUNTS AND EARLY ADOPTION OF IAS 34

This study examines the preparation of interim accounts and adoption of International Accounting Standard 34 (IAS 34) by companies in Bahrain. Data was gathered through questionnaires returned from 31 companies listed on the Bahrain Stock Exchange (BSE). It was found that although 87.6% of the sample did prepare interim reports, only 65.5% have adopted IAS 34. Four hypotheses were tested to determine the factors influencing the early adoption of IAS 34. A discriminant analysis model was employed and three variables namely, size, profitability and leverage were found significant as the most discriminating variables between the early adopters and non-adopters. The predictive power of the model was found to be more than 80%. Companies prepare interim reports for a variety of purposes including management control and listing requirements.     

VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE BY FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES: EVIDENCE FROM AUSTRALIAN LIFE INSURERS PROMOTING INVESTMENT-RELATED CONTRACTS

Voluntary financial disclosure by Australian life insurers promoting investment-related contracts is predicted to be related to fees, funds under management, investment risk and return, liability risk and marketing costs factors. The decision to voluntarily disclose various forms of financial data in documents promoting investment-related contracts was studied during 1989-90. Life insurance managers providing financial disclosures tend to: (a) charge lower fees, (b) hold larger funds under management, (c) are exposed to higher investment risk, (d) are exposed to lower liability risk and (e) bear lower marketing costs. This evidence supports Mayers and Smiths' [1981] positive theory of insurance-related contracting.     

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REGULATION AND INDIRECT ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SALES DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT OF THE 1934 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT

This study analyzes an indirect economic consequence of accounting regdations - that of inducing inter-firm wealth transfers. This analysis is applied to the sales disclosure requirement of the 1934 Securities and Exchange Act. Using daily returns to the New York Stock Exchange and over-the-counter stocks, it was found that when Congressional deliberations favored passage of the 1934 Act, mturns to h s which had previously disclosed sales significantly exceeded those of non-sales-disclosing firms. This result is consistent with a wealth transfer having occurred from the latter to the former through an unexpected shift in competitive advantage.     

INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REPORTING PRACTICES: A FRENCH AND CANADIAN COMPARISON

This paper compares the research and development (R&D) disclosure practices in France and Canada, as evidenced in the annual reports of 76 French and 110 Canadian listed companies. It finds that Canadian high-tech companies (hardware, software, and biotechnology) disclose significantly more information on their R&D activities than their French counterparts. It also finds a strong link between R&D intensity and R&D disclosure among Canadian high-tech companies. Canadian companies overall are also found to be more likely to use non-financial disclosure as a means to resolve any R&D information asymmetry, while French firms disclose more traditional financial and accounting information. Canadian companies are also more willing than French firms to provide information concerning their future R&D expenditures. These results are consistent with inherent cultural and capital market differences between France and Canada. In contrast, the study does not find any significant difference in R&D expenditure capitalization policies between French and Canadian firms.     

THE TIMELINESS OF CORPORATE REPORTING: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOUTH ASIA

This study examines the timeliness of corporate annual reporting in three South Asian countries, namely, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Based on a large sample of 558 annual reports for the year 1998, it is found that around 90% of the companies’ balance sheet end date falls in June and December in Bangladesh, March in India, and June and September in Pakistan. The audit lag is 162 days, 92 days and 145 days in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, respectively. While the audit lag, preliminary lag and total lag are significantly lower in India compared to Bangladesh and Pakistan, a substantial proportion of companies take more time than allowed by the Companies Act in each country. A multivariate regression analysis indicates that financial year-end date is a significant determinant in each country. The size of the audit firm, as measured by the factor loading of audit fees, number of reporting entity audited by an audit firm and international linkage, indicates large audit firms take significantly less time in India and Pakistan. Profitability and corporate size are significant determinants only in Pakistan. There is no statistical evidence to support monitoring hypothesis, as proxied by Zmijeski’s financial condition index. The 2nd stage regression results suggests that only audit lag is significantly associated with the time taken by companies to submit their annual reports to the Stock Exchange and to hold the annual general meeting in each country. The results suggest that timeliness can be improved by reducing the delays in verifying the year-end accounts. Possible explanations for these findings along with limitations and implications are provided.     

THE IMPACT OF THE DISCLOSURE OF EXTRAORDINARY ACCOUNTING ITEMS ON RETURNS TO EQUITY

This paper investigates empirically the impact on returns to equity of the disclosure of unexpected extraordinary accounting items, where unexpected extraordinary items are proxied by actual extraordinary items. The paper addresses some of the methodological limitations evident in previous studies. These limitations include the failure to identify the earliest information source, and the failure to identify the announcement month. The analysis in this study uses half-yearly reports instead of annual reports as used in previous studies, and identifies the month in which the interim results (and therefore the extraordinary items) are announced. Controls are provided for the contemporaneous announcement of operating profit and dividends, while interim reports with contemporaneously announced rights issues, bonus issues, share splits, or takeover offers, are excluded. However, one limitation which remains is the use of monthly returns. The use of daily data would provide a more sensitive test. Using cross-sectional regression analysis, no evidence was found of an association between announcements of unexpected extraordinary items and abnormal returns to equity.     

FOREIGN-CURRENCY ACCOUNTING METHODS: REPORTING THE EXCHANGE RATE RISK EXPOSURE OF EQUITY

This study tests whether Australian firms' unregulated foreign-currency accounting policies indicated the extent to which equity claims against the firm were exposed to exchange rate risk. Evidence supports the hypothesis that the methods of accounting for foreign-currency gains and losses on long-term monetary-items were associated with the exposure. Methods of disposing of the gains and losses arising from translation of the accounts of overseas subsidiaries were also associated with the exposure, but not in the manner predicted. The results indicate that foreign-currency accounting policies were established in an interactive (portfolio) decision-making process, and that managers reported equity claim exposures relative to the returns to equity claims against other firms. Overall, the study provides evidence that at least some unregulated choices of foreign-currency accounting methods were made to minimise the agency costs associated with contracts between shareholders and management.