The influence of IFRS mandatory adoption on value relevance of intangible assets in Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-436
Author(s):  
Michela Cordazzo ◽  
Paola Rossi

PurposeFollowing the mandatory IFRS adoption in 2005, the Continental European accounting systems changed. This study investigates if it influenced the value relevance of intangible assets in Italy.Design/methodology/approachTo measure the value relevance of intangible assets of non-financial firms listed on Borsa Italiana from 2000 to 2015, this study isolates the impact of several classes of intangible assets on stock prices and then classifies firms according to intangible asset intensity.FindingsGoodwill, intellectual property and other rights, start-up costs or other intangible assets are significantly correlated with stock prices when Italian accounting standards were applied prior to 2005, whereas research and development expenditures are not associated with stock prices. The mandatory IFRS adoption has exerted positive effects only for goodwill and research and development expenditures, and it is negative for start-up costs. Further, when intangible-intensive firms are considered in the post-IFRS adoption period, declining value relevance exists relative to intellectual property and other rights or research and development expenditures; goodwill and other intangible assets increase in value relevance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is subject to country-specific determinants and firm-specific characteristics. It treats accounting standards as exogenous, and the classification reflects the concentration of intangible assets in an industry. By relying on investors’ assessments of risk, it does not sufficiently explore the risk conveyed by future abnormal earnings and earnings volatility.Practical implicationsThis study offers insights for measuring and reporting intangible assets, by specifying that their value relevance depends on their level and aggregation.Originality/valueThis study investigates the value relevance of intangible assets in the post-IFRS period, in reference to intangible-intensive firms. It also divides intangible assets into several classes to specify the value relevance of goodwill.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Mora Rodríguez ◽  
Francisco Flores Muñoz ◽  
Diego Valentinetti

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of recent developments in corporate reporting, specifically from the carbon disclosure project (CDP) environment, in the evolution of European post-crisis financial markets. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical and instrumental advancements from nonlinear dynamics have been applied to the analysis of market behaviour and the online presence or reputation of major European listed banks. Findings The application of a nonlinear statistical methodology (i.e. the autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average [ARFIMA] estimation model) demonstrates the presence of a long history of collected data, thus indicating a certain degree of predictability in the time series. Also, this study confirms the existence of structural breakpoints, specifically the impact of the CDP reporting in both stock prices and online search trends of the sampled companies for certain periods. Research limitations/implications This study introduces new methodological perspectives in corporate reporting studies, as the application of nonlinear techniques can be more effective in capturing corporate transparency issues. A limitation to overcome is to explore whether the impact of reporting is different due to the specific reporting behaviour each company adopts. Practical implications The “breakpoint” concept should enlighten the importance to firms of providing more information in specific moments, which can impact on both traditional (i.e. stock prices) and modern (i.e. online popularity) performance metrics. Additionally, it should be taken into account by stakeholders, when analysing the accountability of firms to improve their decision-making processes and policymakers, for monitoring and contrasting speculative and insider trading activities. Social implications Online search trends represent a new public attitude to how society “measures” the effectiveness of firms’ disclosure behaviours. Originality/value Combining ARFIMA with structural break techniques can be regarded as a relevant and complementary addition to classic “market reaction” or “value relevance” techniques.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doaa El-Diftar ◽  
Tarek Elkalla

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the value relevance of accounting information in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) region with an emphasis on the potential impact of IFRS adoption. This paper aims to not only examine the value relevance of accounting information in the MENA region but also draw comparisons between Gulf countries (GCC) and non-GCC country firms to determine whether there are distinct differences across the two regions. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the value relevance of accounting information in the MENA region, two pooled regression models are used based on the Ohlson (1995) model. The first regression model is conducted for the GCC and non-GCC regions separately. A second regression model is conducted using a pooled sample of the MENA region collectively with dummy and interaction variables to further explore the potential differences between the two regions in terms of the value relevance of accounting information. Findings The empirical results show that the measures of accounting information have a highly significant positive relationship with the market value per share for firms in the MENA region, thereby indicating that accounting information in the MENA region is value relevant. Although book value per share and earnings per share are significant determinants of value relevance in both GCC and non-GCC country firms, operating cash flows per share is only a significant determinant of value relevance in non-GCC country firms. The research findings of the study also show a significant negative impact of IFRS adoption on the value relevance of accounting information in the MENA region. Practical implications This research paper provides important insights for investors and regulators by providing evidence that accounting information is value relevant in the MENA region, and that IFRS adoption does not necessarily lead to a greater degree of value relevance. In fact, investors and regulators should be aware that the adoption of IFRS in MENA country firms results in diminished value relevance of accounting information. This finding is of particular significance to policymakers attempting to improve accounting disclosure. Originality/value The paper expands the value relevance of accounting information literature in the context of developing economies, in general, and the MENA region, in particular. There is a paucity of research into the value relevance of accounting information for MENA country firms, particularly in the case of the impact of IFRS adoption. Thus, this paper provides an important contribution in terms of expanding the value relevance literature in relation to IFRS adoption in the MENA region.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manish Bansal ◽  
Ashish Garg

Purpose The study aims to investigate the impact of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)-converged standards (Indian Accounting Standards (INAS)) on the accounting quality of Indian firms. The phased manner approach of implementing INAS provides us a unique setting to investigate the issue in India. Design/methodology/approach The study used difference-in-difference (DiD) methodology, where the accounting quality is compared between test firms and benchmark firms during the pre-and post-INAS adoption period. Accounting quality is operationalized through four different constructs, namely, earnings smoothing, discretionary accruals, earnings timeliness and value relevance of earnings. Findings The findings deduced from the empirical results demonstrate that accounting quality has been significantly reduced after the adoption of INAS. In particular, results show that the degree of earnings smoothing, and the magnitude of discretionary accruals have been increased among test firms in the post-adoption year. Besides, findings provide evidence that timely recognition of losses and value relevance of earnings has been reduced for test firms relative to benchmark firms after the adoption of INAS. Practical implications The results suggest that the mere adoption of high-quality standards does not ensure higher accounting quality in countries with a weaker enforcement mechanism. Hence, stringent enforcement mechanisms are needed to ensure full compliance with accounting standards. This study serves as a case study for other emerging countries that are in the process of IFRS convergence and make them aware of the unintended consequences of IFRS adoption. Originality/value Indian authorities implemented INAS in a phased manner that provides a unique setting to use DiD methodology. DiD helps to control the impact of concurrent economic shocks, while examining the impact of the particular regulatory shock. Besides, this is the first attempt to investigate the impact of INAS on the accounting quality of Indian firms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 756-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Misbah Habib ◽  
Jawad Abbas ◽  
Rahat Noman

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of human capital (HC), intellectual property rights (IPRs) and research and development (R&D) expenditures on total factor productivity (TFP), which leads to economic growth. Design/methodology/approach The panel data technique is used on a sample of 16 countries categorized into two groups, namely Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and, in order to make a comparison for the time period of 2007–2015, the researchers used a fixed effect model as an estimation method for regression. Findings The results indicate that HC, IPRs and R&D expenditures appear to be statistically significant and are strong factors in determining changes in TFP and exhibit positive results in all sample sets. Moreover, IPRs alone do not accelerate growth in an economy, especially taking the case of emerging nations. Originality/value Considering the importance of CEE and BRIC countries, and inadequate research on these regions with respect to current study’s variables and techniques, the present research provides valuable insights about the importance of HC, IPR and R&D activities and their impact on TFP, which leads to economic growth. IPRs create a fertile environment for R&D activities, knowledge creation and economic development. Distinct nations can attain better economic status via HC, R&D activities, innovation, trade and FDI, although the relative significance of these channels is likely to differ across countries depending on their developmental levels.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuling Chiang ◽  
Gary Kleinman ◽  
Picheng Lee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of non-staggered voting for members of the board of directors on earnings quality and the value relevance of earnings and book value. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a sample of Taiwanese firms whose board was elected as a whole every three years from 2003 to 2013. The authors used multiple regression analysis to test whether board of directors elections and corporate governance affected earnings quality and the value relevance of earnings and book value. Findings The authors found that elections led to lower earnings quality, but better corporate governance led to greater earnings quality. In the presence of board elections, earnings have reduced value relevance but book value had increased value relevance. Finally, given board elections, the relative value relevance of earnings and book value on stock price was not fully moderated by strong corporate governance. Research limitations/implications The results presented here indicate the importance of better corporate governance in diffusing suspicions of management occasioned by the use of discretionary accruals in years in which board elections take place. Better corporate governance regimes led to a more positive relationship of discretionary accruals to earnings persistence, even in the presence of directorial elections. Similarly, better corporate governance regimes led to a more positive relationship between earnings per share and stock prices. Limitations include the restriction of the testing locale to Taiwan. That said, many companies around the globe use non-staggered board elections. Accordingly, these results suggest issues of importance to corporate governance advocates beyond Taiwan as well. Originality/value This study deepens the field’s understanding of the impact of corporate governance arrangements and schedules for electing board of directors’ members on issues of interest to stockholders.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Kouki

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare the value relevance of accounting information between International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)-firms and non-IFRS-firms over five years before mandatory IFRS adoption from 2000 to 2004 and six years after IFRS adoption from 2006 to 2011. Design/methodology/approach The sample includes 1166 firm-year observations that cover firms from three Europeans countries. Different econometric tests, multivariate and panel regressions have been used to verify the hypotheses. Findings In the pre-IFRS period, voluntary IFRS adoption did not improve the value relevance of accounting information. The results indicate that the information contents of non-IFRS-firms in the post-adoption period have higher quality than in the pre-adoption period. The findings show a higher association between accounting information, stock prices and stock returns over both periods, however, the difference in results is not statistically significant. Research limitations/implications This study was not generalized to other stock exchanges that have a significant weight in the European Union, such as the FTSE 100 companies or the SP/MIB. Practical implications This study has some implications for standards setters, firms and practitioners. The transition to IFRS reduces the diversity of accounting systems and institutional conditions (capital market structure, Taxation systems). In addition, mandatory IFRS adoption engendered changes in firms’ business and organizational models that led accountants to improve their educational and training programs. Originality/value This paper contributes to the value relevance as well as IFRS literature by using a sample from code-law origin countries that switched from a debt-oriented system to shareholder-oriented system. It offers a comparative approach between IFRS-firms and Non-IFRS-firms in the pre- and post-adoption periods. In contrast, prior studies focused on the comparison during only one period. This empirical evidence should be of interest to investors and policymakers in other markets.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott McGregor

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of ASU 2016–01 on the predictive value, the confirmatory value and the value relevance of earnings. One of the key provisions of ASU 2016–01 is the requirement that all changes in unrealized gains and losses on all equity securities are recognized in income instead of other comprehensive income (OCI) as under prior guidance (SFAS 115). Because many companies in the insurance industry are large holders of equity securities, the sample for this study consists of firms from the insurance industry. Design/methodology/approach The author compares the change in earnings volatility and analysts’ forecast error for the periods before and after adoption of ASU 2016–01, and the relationship between the percentages of assets invested in equity securities for both earnings volatility and analysts’ forecast error. Further, the author tests the price reaction at the time of the release of earnings using an event study. The author also tests the value reliance of earnings measured by the correlation of earnings and stock prices, as well as the change in earnings and stock returns. The association between investment gain/loss components of earnings, and OCI, with stock prices and returns is tested for value relevance. Findings The findings of this study show that earnings volatility and analysts’ forecast errors increased in the period after adopting ASU 2016–01 and an initial overreaction to earnings releases. Further, the investment gain/loss components of earnings and OCI are not value-relevant in this study and including unrealized gains/losses on equity securities in income decreased value relevance of earnings in the post-adoption period, particularly for firms with large equity investment portfolios. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to one industry and only represents the impact of ASU 2016–01 on that industry. Thus, there are opportunities to extend the research to other industries. Furthermore, the time-period of study since adopting ASU 2016–01 is limited to only two years and with the passage of time, a greater sample of post-ASU 2016–01 will be available for testing. Practical implications Standard setters considering recognizing fair value changes on all investment securities in income should consider the findings of this study. Further, industry participants affected by ASU 2016–01 should consider improving explanation of earnings to mitigate the initial misunderstanding of earning announcements found in this study. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study on the effects of ASU 2016–01 on volatility of earnings, earnings forecast errors, market reactions to earnings releases and the value relevance of earnings. This paper fills a gap in prior research by studying the effects of fair value on reported earnings, which is limited in prior research. This study contributes to the growing field of research on fair value accounting.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunhui Liu ◽  
Chun Yip Yuen ◽  
Lee J. Yao (posthumously) ◽  
Siew H. Chan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the relatively rules-based US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the more principles-based International Accounting Standards/International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS) provide different opportunities for earnings management (EM). Such an examination is critical as the world moves toward principles-based standards. Design/methodology/approach – Financial information for the fiscal years 1999-2004 from the annual reports of firms listed under the Prime Standard on the Germany Frankfurt Stock Exchange is analyzed. Data from the German Frankfurt Stock Exchange are used to resolve the difficulty in comparing accounting standards across different markets and countries with different institutional factors and corporate governance issues. The unique feature of dual listing in the German Frankfurt Stock Exchange allows firms listing shares under the Prime Standard to report in accordance with either the US GAAP or the IAS/IFRS before the IFRS adoption by the European Union in 2005. Strong legal enforcement in Germany ensures that reporting under each standard is in close compliance to the standard under comparison. Extending extant IFRS vs US GAAP EM research with discretionary accruals, this research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding by also examining EM through deferred tax expense and EM through research and development investment. Findings – The findings reveal that EM through research and development investment is significantly higher for the IAS/IFRS firms. Similar to prior findings, EM through accruals is not found to be significantly different between US GAAP and IAS/IFRS firms. Originality/value – The findings of this study advance the understanding of differences between US GAAP and IFRS with data from Germany where legal enforcement of standards is strong. In particular, this study reveals that principles-based standards with imprecise rules like IAS/IFRS may encourage structured management due to the expectation of error costs and compliance uncertainty. The results inform regulators considering IAS/IFRS adoption. In addition, this research highlights the importance of considering real EM in US GAAP vs IAS/IFRS studies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ervin L Black ◽  
Anastasia Maggina

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of IFRS adoption on financial statement data and their usefulness in Greece. Additionally, the authors examine the effect on the informativeness/usefulness of financial statement data for stock prices in Greece and the effect of the Greek Financial Crisis. Design/methodology/approach – This study examine the effects of IFRS adoption on financial statement data and their usefulness in Greece. Additionally, the authors examine the effect on the informativeness/usefulness of financial statement data for stock prices in Greece and the effect of the Greek Financial Crisis. Findings – The results indicate that several financial ratios were dramatically affected by IFRS adoption in Greece. In contrast to other countries, IFRS has not resulted in improved statistical behavior of these ratios in Greece: the ratios are highly skewed and the normality of their distribution is not improved. Additionally, when examining the usefulness of financial statement data for stock prices in Greece, results indicate that IFRS adoption did not necessarily improve the usefulness of the financial statements. However, the authors do find that since the financial crisis in Greece these IFRS financial statement measures are significant when regressed on stock prices. Research limitations/implications – The authors are not able to necessarily rule out other causal factors that may have occurred in Greece during the sample period. The authors do look at the financial crisis as a potential confounding factor, but other factors such as political or macroeconomic factors have not necessarily been ruled out. Also, this study only examines the Greek situation. Practical implications – This study may have implications for other countries in similar situations as that found in Greece – IFRS adoption and severe economic crisis. Originality/value – To date only the impact of IFRS on earnings, stockholders’ equity, and some financial ratios has been investigated in prior Greek research studies (Hellenic Capital Market Commission, 2006; Grant Thornton, 2006). However, no academic research has been developed in this area. In addition, the authors examine the impact of IFRS on stock prices emphasizing the mandatory financial disclosure and IFRS adoption in a financially and politically distressed country – Greece.


Author(s):  
Yosra Makni Fourati ◽  
Rania Chakroun Ghorbel

This study aims to examine the consequences of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) convergence in an emerging market. More specifically, we investigate whether the adoption of the new set of accounting standards in Malaysia is associated with lower earnings management. Using a sample of 3,340 firm-year observations across three reporting periods with different levels of IFRS adoption, we provide evidence that IFRS convergence improves earning quality. In particular, we find a significant decrease in the absolute value of discretionary acccruals in the partial IFRS-convergence period (2007-2011), whereas this effect is restrictive after the complete IFRS- implementation.


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