Earnings quality and managerial access to debt financing: empirical evidence from Iran

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Maryam Timachi ◽  
Shayan Farhangdoust
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Bank Debt ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Retained Earnings ◽  
Internal Debt

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish a linkage between two rarely researched areas, i.e. earnings quality (EQ) and access to external and internal debt financing. Specifically, the authors aim to examine whether the quality of a firm’s reported earnings is significantly associated with its access to both private and bank debt financing. Design/methodology/approach The authors test the hypotheses by employing panel data analysis for a sample of 108 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) during 2006-2015. The tests were conducted by using R econometric software. Findings After controlling for some firm-specific factors and consistent with the primary expectations, the results reveal a significant and positive relationship between EQ and managerial access to external (bank) debt financing. In addition, the findings indicate that EQ is negatively associated with internal debt financing which is measured as the changes in firm retained earnings. Research limitations/implications Although the authors cautiously conducted the present study, there are some limitations that merit further consideration. First, the authors collected the data manually from 14 categories of industries in the TSE and, accordingly, an aggregate analysis across multiple categories of industries might have missed industry-specific and unique issues. Second, the authors used a narrow conceptualization of accruals quality which merely assesses a firm’s EQ. The measures can be enhanced by including more actionable proxies. Third, since the data on debt financing were collected from two different sources, this might have caused common method variance in the results procedurally. Originality/value Since the fundamental institutional assumptions underpinning the Western and even East Asia debt contracting and EQ models are not valid in the institutional environment of Iran, the findings could provide substantial implications for the understanding of both debt financing and the quality of earnings. These significant institutional and ownership differences are the factors affecting firms’ leverage and capital choice decisions. Indeed, the study has laid some groundwork upon which a more detailed evaluation of the Iranian firms’ financial structure could be based.

Audit committee impact on the quality of financial reporting and disclosure

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 1639-1662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mohammadamin Shirazi
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this study is to shed further light on the characteristics of an audit committee (AC) and its probable relationship with the quality of financial reporting and disclosure. Based on the findings of extant research that there are different factors that may have implications for the AC’ effectiveness, the authors posit an association between the aforementioned financial aspects and AC presence. Design/methodology/approach The authors test their hypotheses by performing panel data analysis on a sample of 100 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) during 2013-2014. The tests were conducted by using Eviews software. Findings Examining previously tested characteristics of an AC, the authors indicate that the number of AC meetings held during fiscal year is negatively associated with the quality of corporate disclosure, whereas AC expertise and size are positively associated with the quality firm’s financial disclosure. Their findings are also indicative of a non-significant relationship between other AC attributes and financial reporting quality (FRQ) except for AC independence, which is positively associated with FRQ. Finally, they provide some evidence that the size of a firm positively affects the quality of its financial reporting and disclosure. Research limitations/implications Although the study has been thoroughly considered and cautiously planned, some limitations have yet arisen. Initially, this research was conducted in an Iranian setting where the formation of ACs is on the verge of regulation; therefore, the data utilized for the study only contains the two-year period of ACs’ statutory activity. In addition, a lack of consensus on the precise measures of an AC’s effectiveness could be considered as a restrictive factor. Originality/value The authors’ study contributes to the AC literature by providing empirical evidence of an association between ACs’ different attributes and financial aspects in a newly regulated environment like the TSE. The results provided in this paper could be fruitful for auditors, regulators, institutional investors and policymakers.

scholarly journals Political connections and earnings quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iman Harymawan ◽  
John Nowland
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Political Connections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Effectiveness ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Market Pressures

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how the earnings quality of politically connected firms is affected by changes in political stability and government effectiveness in a developing country. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a sample of 2,073 firm-year observations from 349 firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange from 2003 to 2012 to examine how political stability and government effectiveness affect the earnings quality of politically connected firms, relative to non-politically connected firms. A two-stage model is used to address self-selection issues in the choice of firms to establish political connections. Findings This study finds that increased government effectiveness reduces the benefits of political connections, requiring politically connected firms to be more responsive to market pressures and resulting in higher earnings quality. However, increased political stability enhances the certainty of benefits from political connections, reducing the need for politically connected firms to respond to market pressures and resulting in lower earnings quality. Research limitations/implications For policymakers, these results indicate that different dimensions of political and economic development can affect the incentives of firms with political connections in different ways. Originality/value This study finds that the earnings quality of politically connected firms increases as government effectiveness improves, but it decreases as the political environment becomes more stable.

Corporate social responsibility disclosure and debt financing

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 394-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Hamrouni ◽  
Rim Boussaada ◽  
Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financing Decisions ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting influences leverage ratios. In particular, this paper aims to determine whether firms with higher CSR disclosure scores have better access to debt financing. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a panel data analysis of non-financial French firms listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange and members of the SBF 120 index from 2010 to 2015. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure scores that are collected from the Bloomberg database are used as a proxy for the extent of ESG information disclosures by French companies. Findings The empirical results demonstrate that leverage ratios are positively related to CSR disclosure scores. In addition, the results show that the levels of long-term and short-term debt increase with the disclosure of ESG information, thus suggesting that CSR disclosures play a significant role in reducing information asymmetry and improving transparency around companies’ ESG activities. This finding meets the lenders’ expectations in terms of extrafinancial information and attracts debt financing sources. Research limitations/implications The research is based only on the quantity of the ESG information disclosed by French companies and does not account for the quality of the CSR disclosures. The empirical model omits some control variables (e.g. the nature of the industry, the external business conditions and the age of the firm). The results should not be generalized, since the sample was based on large French companies for 2010–2015. Practical implications France is a highly regulated context that places considerable pressure on French firms in terms of CSR policies. The French Parliament has adopted several laws requiring transparency in the environmental, social, and corporate governance policies of French firms. In this context, firms often regard CSR policies as constraints rather than opportunities. This study highlights the benefits that result from transparent CSR practices. More precisely, it provides evidence that the high disclosure of ESG information is a pull factor for credit providers. Originality/value This study extends the scope of previous studies by examining the value and relevance of CSR disclosures in financing decisions. More precisely, it focuses on the relatively little explored relationship between the extent of CSR disclosures and access to debt financing. This paper demonstrates how each category of CSR disclosure information (e.g. social, environmental and governance) affects access to debt financing. Moreover, this study focuses on the rather interesting empirical setting of France, which is characterized by its highly developed legal reforms in terms of CSR. Achieving a better understanding of the effects of ESG information is useful for corporate managers desiring to meet lenders’ expectations and attract debt financing sources.

scholarly journals Dividend policy and earnings quality in Vietnam

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-312
Author(s):  
Trang Thi Ngoc Nguyen ◽  
Phuong Kim Bui
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Dividend Policy ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Dummy Variable ◽  
Two Measures

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between dividend policy and earnings quality of Vietnamese listed firms. Design/methodology/approach The sample includes firms listed on Vietnam stock exchange during the period between 2010 and 2016. Two measures of earnings quality are the annual firm-specific absolute value of residuals from Dechow and Dichev’s (2002) model and from Dechow and Dichev (2002) as modified by McNichols’s (2002) model. The firms’ dividend policy is captured by dividend paying status. This is a dummy variable that takes the value of 1 if the firm pays dividends and 0 otherwise. In addition, dividend yield and dividend payout ratio, which are continuous variables, are also used in this paper as alternative proxies for dividend policy. Findings Using panel data analysis, this paper documents that dividend payers have higher earnings quality than dividend non-payers. Dividends are an indicator of earnings quality. These findings are consistent with prior studies. After controlling for variables that may be related to earnings quality as well as for the year and industry fixed effects, this relation remains unchanged. In addition, this result is also robust after controlling for firm fixed effects. Originality/value This paper offers the empirical evidence on the relation between dividend policy and earnings quality in Vietnam, which is a frontier market.

The effect of reporting quality on stock returns of listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Masomeh Tagribi ◽  
Shayan Farhangdoust
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Unit Root ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of earnings quality (as a proxy for financial reporting quality) of companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) and the quality of their financial information disclosure on stock returns. Design/methodology/approach The authors test the hypotheses by conducting panel data analysis on a sample of 1,680 firm-year observations from companies listed on the TSE during 2009-2014. The authors also conduct the variance inflation factor and unit root tests to control for the severity of multicollinearity in their ordinary least squares regression analysis and whether the time series variables are non-stationary and possess a unit root. Findings Using Francis et al. (2005) and modified Jones (1991) models as measures for earnings quality, the results are indicative of a significant and positive relationship between firms’ earnings quality and their stock returns. However, the research findings suggest that earnings management as well as disclosure quality (DQ) is not significantly associated with firms’ stock return. Research limitations/implications Although the authors controlled for some of the factors affecting stock returns, there are still some other factors such as the operating environment, institutional setting and/or information uncertainty that could influence stock returns, and accordingly, the authors were not able to exclude their possibility and get the most robust results. Moreover, there are several models proposed in different studies for measuring earnings quality which have led to mixed results particularly without a general consensus on what a good model is, and whether earnings quality is a priced risk factor. Originality/value Taken as a whole, the paper could provide new insights into the determinants of stock returns which has rarely been considered by prior finance literature. Furthermore, the unique institutional context of the paper could contribute substantially to the literature on the relationship between financial reporting and DQ and stock returns.

Do creditors value corporate social responsibility disclosure? Evidence from Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Boachie ◽  
Joseph Emmanuel Tetteh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose Drawing on risk mitigation theory, this study aims to examine the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and the cost of debt financing (CDF). In particular, this paper seeks to determine whether firms with higher CSR disclosure scores have a lower CDF. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a panel data analysis of non-financial Ghanaian firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange from 2006 to 2019. The CSR index constructed from firms’ annual reports and sustainability reports is used as a proxy for the extent of CSR information disclosures by Ghanaian companies. Findings The empirical results demonstrate that CDF is positively related to CSR disclosure scores. Besides, the results show that the levels of long-term debt increase with CSR disclosure in a highly risky industry. However, the finding does not meet the lenders’ expectations in terms of CSR attracting favourable debt financing sources. Research limitations/implications The research is based only on the quantity of the CSR information disclosed by Ghanaian companies and does not account for the quality of the CSR disclosures. The empirical model omits some control variables such as the age of the firm and external business conditions. The results should not be generalized, as the sample was based on three listed industries in Ghana for 2006–2019. Originality/value This study extends the scope of previous studies by examining the importance of CSR disclosures in financing decisions. More precisely, it focuses on the relatively little explored relationship between the extent of CSR disclosures and access to debt financing. Moreover, this study focuses on the rather interesting empirical setting of Ghana, which is characterized by its low level of CSR awareness. Achieving a better understanding of the effects of CSR information is useful for corporate managers desiring to meet lenders’ expectations and attract debt financing sources.

Measuring the quality of the “comply or explain” approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 373-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michail Nerantzidis
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Athens Stock Exchange ◽  
Recent Financial Crisis ◽  
The One ◽  
Comply Or Explain

Purpose – This paper provides evidence regarding the efficacy of the “comply or explain” approach in Greece and has three objectives: to improve our knowledge of the concept of this accountability mechanism, to elevate auditors’ potential role in the control of corporate governance (CG) statements and to contribute to the discussion about the reform of this principle; a prolonged dialogue that has been started by European Commission in the light of the recent financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is a content analysis of CG statements and Web sites of a non-probability sample of 144 Greek listed companies on the Athens Stock Exchange for the year 2011. Particularly, 52 variables were evaluated from an audit compliance perspective using a coding scheme. From this procedure, the level of compliance with Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) code, as well as the content of the explanations provided for non-compliance, were rated. Findings – The results show that although the degree of compliance is low (the average governance rating is 35.27 per cent), the evaluation of explanations of non-compliance is even lower (from the 64.73 per cent of the non-compliance, the 40.95 per cent provides no explanation at all). Research limitations/implications – The research limitations are associated with the content analysis methodology, as well as the reliability of CG statements. Practical implications – This study indicates that companies on the one hand tend to avoid the compliance with these recommendation practices, raising questions regarding the effectiveness of the SEV code; while on the other, they are not in line with the spirit of the CG code, as they do not provide adequate explanations. These results assist practitioners and/or policy-makers in perceiving the efficacy of the “comply or explain” approach. Originality/value – While there is a great body of research that has looked into the compliance with best practices, this study is different because it is the first one that rates not only the degree of the compliance with the code’s practices but also the content of the explanations provided for non-compliance. This is particularly interesting because it adds to the body of research by providing a new approach in measuring the quality of the “comply or explain” principle in-depth.

Financial statement effects of adopting IFRS: the Canadian experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva K. Jermakowicz ◽  
Chun-Da Chen ◽  
Han Donker
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Toronto Stock Exchange ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Publicly Traded Companies ◽  
Interaction Terms

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on financial statements of the largest Canadian firms (S&P/TSX 60) listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Design/methodology/approach This study investigates the financial statement effects of 46 companies from the S&P/TSX 60 index which report under IFRS in 2011 and switched to IFRS from CGAAP. This study used panel data analysis, which can be considered as more powerful when conducting cross-sectional and in time analysis among companies. Because of weakness of Cramer statistic on R-square, the authors used interaction terms as suggested by Hope (2007). Findings Consistent with the authors’ perceptions, this study finds that significant effects of adopting IFRS are associated with industry practices. The empirical results show that the adoption of IFRS in Canada created more relevant financial reporting for book value of equity and net income in the post-adoption periods. Originality/value This study should be of interest to the US regulators considering IFRS adoption by US publicly traded companies as well as to regulators, standard setters and listed companies in all countries worldwide that are in transition to IFRS.

Towards a more ethical market: the impact of ESG rating on corporate financial performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Landi ◽  
Mauro Sciarelli
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper fits in a research field dealing with the impact of Corporate Ethics Assessment on Financial Performance. The authors argue how environmental, social and governance (ESG) paradigm, meant to measure corporate social performance by rating issuance, can impact on abnormal returns of Italian firms listed on Financial Times Stock Exchange Milano Indice di Borsa (FTSE MIB) Index, developing a panel data analysis which runs from 2007 to 2015. Design/methodology/approach This study aims at exploring whether socially responsible investors outperform an excess market return on Italian Stock Exchange because of their investment behavior, testing statistically the relationship between the yearly ESG assessment issued by Standard Ethics Agency on FTSE MIB’s companies and their abnormal returns. To verify the impact of an ESG Rating on a company’s abnormal return, the authors developed a panel data analysis through a Fixed Effects Model. They measured abnormal returns via Fama–French approach, running a yearly Jensen’s Performance Index for each company under investigation. Findings The empirical results denote in Italy both a growing interest to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability by managers over the past decade, as well as an improving quality in ESG assessments because of a reliable corporate disclosure. Thus, despite investors have been applying ESG criteria in their stock – picking operations, the authors found a not positive and statistically significant impact in terms of market premium, when they have been undertaking a socially responsible investment (SRI). Practical implications The findings described above show that ethics is not yet a reliable fundraising tool for Italian-listed companies, despite SRIs having a positive growth rate over past decade. Investors seem to be not pricing CSR on Stock Exchange Market; therefore, listed companies cannot be rewarded with a premium price because of their highly stakeholder oriented behavior. Originality/value This paper explores, for the first time in Italy, when market extra-returns (if any) are related to corporate social performance and how managers leverage ethics to build capital added value.

Family ownership and financial reporting quality: Iranian evidence

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Mousavi Shiri ◽  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Fatemeh Abbasi ◽  
Shayan Farhangdoust
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Accounting Information ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Family Ownership ◽  
Content Type

PurposeIn the process of reporting accounting information, the auditor’s objective is to detect possible misstatements and errors in accounting information. Audit evidence aids auditors in providing reasonable assurance about the quality of financial reporting. Studying the quality of family firms’ financial reporting is of higher importance relative to non-family firms due to lower risk of accounting manipulation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between family ownership structure and financial reporting quality from an auditing perspective.Design/methodology/approachTo analyze the research hypotheses, the authors use a sample data consisted of 221 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (including 52 family and 169 non-family firms) over a five-year span from 2011 to 2015.FindingsUsing multivariate regression analysis of panel data, our results indicate that audit risk in family firms is lower than their counterparts. Likewise, the findings are indicative of lower audit fees paid by family firms as compared to non-family ones. The authors also find that auditors put more effort in family firms and thus audit effort is more significant for these kinds of firms.Originality/valueThe study focuses on family ownership and financial reporting quality in a developing country like Iran and the results of the study may be beneficial to other developing nations, as Iran stock market possesses some unique features which are not normally prevailing in other equity markets, even in the Middle East.

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