Gaps in the IFRS Conceptual Framework

Abstract

The stated purpose of the IFRS Conceptual Framework is to assist the IASB to develop Standards that are based on consistent concepts, and also to assist preparers to develop consistent accounting policies when Standards either do not apply or allow a choice of accounting policy. Yet, the Framework actually does surprisingly little to help the IASB (or preparers) determine which assets, liabilities, income and expenses should be recognised, and how they should be measured. The Framework’s focus on assets and liabilities implies that the accounting can, and should, be determined from the balance sheet. Yet, many current financial reporting requirements focus initially on the income statement, and so they are not so much derived from the Framework as instead in need of being reconciled back to it. At its heart, the problem here is that, while the Framework states that accrual accounting provides a better basis for assessing past and future performance than cash-based information, it does not explain why. To do so would require a conceptualisation of how entities’ business models are employed to create value, and of the strengths and limitations of accounting data in enhancing investors’ understanding of that value-creation. The lack of explanation of the purpose and informational objectives of accruals, how they relate to business models and how they cause the income statement and the balance sheet to interact are gaps in the Framework. Filling those gaps would provide a more robust, and natural, way for the IASB to develop recognition and measurement requirements in its Standards.     

Analyst Earnings Forecast Revisions and the Pricing of Accruals

We investigate the relation between two market anomalies to provide insights into analysts role as information intermediaries. Prior research finds that accruals and analyst earnings forecast revisions predict future returns. We find that the accrual and forecast revision strategies generate hedge returns of 15.5% and 5.5% when implemented independently. Strikingly, a combined strategy that uses forecast revisions to refine the accrual strategy generates a hedge return of 28.5%. Firms with consistent accrual and forecast revision signals have less persistent accruals and earnings. We also find that accruals can be used to refine the forecast revision strategy—high accruals are associated with overoptimism in analyst forecasts. Our findings indicate that although forecast revisions reflect information about accrual and earnings persistence beyond that reflected in the level of current year accruals, investors do not fully incorporate this information into their valuation assessments.     

Corporate Data and Future Cash Flows

Abstract:   This article examines the ability of current accounting data to explain future cash flows for UK firms, as disclosed under FRS1 (1991). Rather than examining price data — from which cash flow implications have to be inferred — we follow the more direct approach used in several recent US studies, in which actual future cash flow data are examined. Specifically, our methodology is a development of the OLS regression framework employed by Barth et al. (2001) . We provide a replication of their main OLS analysis, and then extend this to deal with fixed effects and time trends in the levels of cash flow data. Our study finds that the disaggregation of earnings into cash flows and accruals, generates superior explanatory power with regard to future cash flows.     

内部薪酬差距合理性与会计盈余相关性——来自中国上市公司的经验数据

文章基于2006-2012年我国上市公司高管和员工薪酬数据,对企业内部薪酬差距的合理性进行了分析,得出我国企业内部薪酬差距逐渐扩大,内部薪酬差距不合理性凸显的结论。通过采用实证分析的方法,发现会计盈余对企业内部薪酬差距合理性的影响。企业内部薪酬差距合理性可能由经营活动现金流量净额以及总应计共同影响,总应计又分为操控性应计和非操控性应计。经营活动现金流量净额正向影响企业内部薪酬差距合理性;操控性应计项目负向影响薪酬差距的合理性;而非操控性应计对企业内部薪酬差距合理性的影响并不显著。文章研究结果表明,企业进行盈余操纵时,损害了内部薪酬差距合理性,应该充分利用企业内控制度和外部独立审计对企业盈余操纵进行有效监督,进而维护企业内部薪酬差距合理性。     

大股东资金占用与盈余管理

本文以深沪两市2000-2002年所有A股公司作为样本,研究了大股东的资金侵占与上市公司盈余管理的关系。实证结果表明,大股东及其附属公司对上市公司的资金侵占越严重,上市公司进行盈余管理的程度越高,说明大股东的资金占用不仅可能影响上市公司的经营业绩,还会降低上市公司会计信息质量。     

未预期货币政策冲击与股票价格

货币政策影响股票价格的理论机制清晰确凿,实证检验的主要挑战是资本市场对货币政策冲击可能存在事先预期。基于货币政策公告后的国债收益率变动,文章识别了未被市场充分预期的货币政策冲击,并实证考察了 2000 年以来历次法定存款准备金率调整和贷款基准利率调整,发现未预期货币政策冲击对股票市场价格产生显著影响,1% 的未预期“降准”会引起上证指数和深证综指上涨 1.39% 和 1.415%,1% 的未预期“降息”会引起上证指数和深证综指上涨 0.662% 和 1.01%。     

Audit opinion and earnings management: Evidence from Greece

This study examines the relationship between audit opinions and earnings management, as measured by discretionary accruals, for listed firms on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE). We divide the qualified audit opinions into two categories: qualified for the going-concern uncertainty and qualified for other reasons. The results indicate that audit opinions are not related to earnings management. Client financial characteristics, such as profitability and size are determinants of the going-concern audit opinion decision. The decision of auditors to issue qualified opinions for other reasons is explained by the type of audit opinion issued in the previous year.     

论手机媒体在突发公共卫生事件中的传播

近年来各种突发公共卫生事件不断发生,信息的及时沟通非常重要,手机媒体以其即时性、互动性、高效性等特点已经成为传播信息的新媒体,尤其是在公共突发事件中具有不可替代的作用。阐述手机媒体传播特点,分析其在突发公共卫生事件信息传播中的利弊并提出了相应对策。     

Managers: Their Effects on Accruals and Firm Policies

This paper investigates whether top executives have significant individual‐specific effects on accruals that cannot be explained by firm characteristics. Exploiting individual executive and firm data from a period of 37 years, we find that individual executives play a significant role in determining firms’ accruals. We examine whether executives’ effects on accruals are related to their personal styles on firm policies, investment, financing and operating decisions. Our results show that individual executives’ effects on accruals are more correlated with their operating decisions than investment and financing decisions. We next investigate whether managers themselves also have a personal style for directly affecting accruals. We compare effects exerted by CEOs to CFOs. We find CEOs are more likely to affect accruals through firm policy decisions and CFOs are more likely to affect accruals through accounting decisions. CFOs tend to report more ‘solid’ earnings than CEOs, i.e., CFOs are more likely to push accruals to zero.