IASB公允价值计量项目的进展及对我国的启示

次贷危机爆发后,公允价值面临前所未有的责难。二十国集团（G20）峰会倡议改进和完善公允价值会计准则。IASB拟对公允价值及其相关项目做重大修订。我国应充分借鉴其最新研究成果,以改进我国的公允价值会计体系。本文在介绍后危机时代IASB对公允价值计量项目的进展的基础上,结合我国实际,提出了我国进一步应用公允价值的建议。     

Changes in the value relevance of goodwill accounting following the adoption of IFRS 3

This study examines the value relevance effects of changes in goodwill accounting in a European setting. International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 3 replaced accounting rules that emphasized goodwill amortization over short useful lives which kept goodwill balances low. Goodwill accounting under IFRS 3 largely relies on manager fair value estimates of acquired business units. Using Swedish data, we show that goodwill amortizations were not value-relevant prior to the adoption of IFRS 3. However, impairments reported in addition to amortization were significantly related to stock returns during that period. In contrast, under the impairment-only regime prescribed by IFRS 3, impairments are no longer statistically related to stock returns.     

Accounting for promises: The impact of SFAS No. 116 on charities

SFAS No. 116, Accounting for contributions made and contributions received, issued in 1993, requires that nongovernmental organizations, both proprietary and nonprofit, recognize unconditional promises to give as current period revenue. This study examines whether charities—organizations that rely heavily upon contributions—are affected by SFAS No. 116 adoption along two dimensions: whether an accounting effect exists, and whether a subsequent economic, or behavioral impact is felt by charities reporting positive adjustments to net assets when adopting SFAS No. 116.First, this study documents the effect of SFAS No. 116 adoption on receivables, and considers whether increases in pledges that result from adoption persist in post-adoption periods. The evidence suggests that the accounting effect of SFAS No. 116—that is, the recognition of unconditional pledges—persists in the post-adoption regime.Second, the economic effect of SFAS No. 116 is considered by examining, for charities affected by adoption, whether cash contributions decline in post-adoption periods, whether fundraising increases, and whether reliance on cash contributions decreases in post-adoption periods. Results indicate that cash contributions decrease, that fundraising increases, and that reliance on cash contributions decreases for these organizations.     

公允价值级次:逻辑理念、实务应用及标准制定

公允价值计量是世界性财务报告难题.2006年FASB发布的\"公允价值计量\"准则的最大亮点是提出了\"公允价值级次理论\".该理论针对公允价值计量可靠性问题,力图最大限度地均衡相关性和可靠性质量特征,受到国际会计界普遍欢迎;它蕴涵的基本理念是:级次划分可为评价计量结果的可靠程度提供权威依据、充分翔实的披露能弥补可能的计量缺陷.我国企业会计准则中也隐含公允价值级次,但该级次的隐含性可能限制其充分地发挥作用,因此制定明确的公允价值级次十分必要.     

Managing specific accruals vs. structuring transactions: Evidence from banking industry

This study investigates earnings management through managing specific accruals vs. structuring transactions in the banking industry. This paper explores the circumstances under which banks manipulate loan loss provisions vs. circumstances that lead banks to structure loan sales and securitizations for the purpose of achieving earnings benchmarks. Empirical results show that banks manage earnings through loan loss provisions, before resorting to structuring transactions, to avoid small earnings decreases and or just meet or beat analysts' forecasts. The findings imply that structuring loan sales and securitizations is more likely to be used as a secondary instrument. In addition, I find that the earnings of banks with lower discretionary loan loss provisions and higher discretionary gains from loan sales and securitizations are priced more negatively, suggesting that investors impose incremental penalties on the joint use of loan loss provisions and gains from loan sales and securitization to meet or beat earnings benchmarks.     

Competitive harm and geographic area disclosure under SFAS 131

Prior research documents considerable diversity in the amount of detail provided by companies in complying with the foreign country disclosure requirements of SFAS 131. We posit that the potential competitive harm associated with country specific disclosures provides an incentive for management to avoid making these disclosures. Specifically, we hypothesize that firms with higher potential competitive harm costs will provide less detailed geographic area disclosures. Our results show that, as expected, firms exposed to greater competitive harm costs provide less detailed country specific revenue disclosures. This study helps to explain the diversity in practice with respect to the level of detail provided by companies in their geographic area disclosures under SFAS 131. In addition, it adds to the literature examining the impact of potential competitive harm on disclosures made by U.S. firms, by extending the line of research to geographic area disclosures.     

What drives firms' decisions to lobby and determinants of their lobbying positions: Evidence from firms' comment letter submissions during FASB's stock option expensing proposal in 2004

I examine what drives firms' decisions on whether or not to lobby and, if so, whether to oppose or support FASB's 2004 option expensing proposal. Given that the accounting treatment in place and the political climate were different in 2004 than in 1993, it becomes interesting to examine whether the incentives driving managerial lobbying process have changed. Indeed, in contrast to prior research that finds top managers' option compensation being the main incentive to oppose option expensing in 1993, firms' closeness to debt constraints is the main incentive to oppose option expensing in 2004. I also find that firms that are smaller, that are in an industry with peers who have lobbied, that have board interlocks with firms that have lobbied, and that have higher board independence are more likely to self-select to lobby. While prior accounting lobbying research has examined firms' decisions to lobby and firms' decision on their lobbying positions independently, this study improves on prior research methodology by using a two-level nested logit model and examines both decisions.     

美国公允价值计量准则评介

"公允价值计量"是一个国际性的财务报告难题。2006年9月FASB发布"公允价值计量准则"(SFAS157),制定了新的公允价值定义和计量指南。本文介绍SFAS157的主要理论:脱手价计量目标、市场参与者观和公允价值级次,分析这些理论的形成背景和现实意义,归纳SFAS157的主要特征并探讨它对改进我国新准则公允价值计量应用的借鉴作用。