Has traditional accounting information lost its relevance?

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 554-570
Author(s):  
Kingsley Opoku Appiah ◽  
Owusu Acheampong

Purpose This paper aims to examine whether traditional accounting information has lost its relevance in the context of sub-Sahara Africa. Specifically, the study examines whether historical cost and inflation-adjusted data are related to the market value of equity and stock returns on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). Design/methodology/approach The authors collect firm-specific data from annual reports of 20 listed firms from the GSE over the period 2007-2012. The authors use ordinary least squares and two stage least square (2SLS) to examine the value relevance of historical and inflation-adjusted income and equity. Findings The results suggest that the market equity is related to both historical-cost and inflation-adjusted earnings. Market return is also associated with both historical-cost and inflation-adjusted earnings and book value. Overall, the authors conclude that inflation-adjusted information content is more value relevant than the traditional cost accounting information. Research limitations/implications The findings are a wake-up call to policymakers and practitioners in formulating financial reporting policies. This study, however, focuses on only non-financial listed firms on the GSE. Thus, the results may not be valid for all companies in Ghana. Practical implications The finding has an implication on the choice of valuation used in the preparation and reporting of financial statements. Accordingly, the authors offer policy directions to financial reporting regulatory authorities to enhance the value relevance of accounting information. Social implications Regulators, especially the GSE may improve life of investors if the recommendations are transformed into directives that will help enhance the quality of financial reporting. Originality/value The findings suggest that inflation-adjusted data are more relevant in countries with extreme inflationary trend and lax International Financial Reporting Standards compliance enforcement. The results also lend support for the current cost accounting theory.

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lious Ntoung Agbor Tabot ◽  
Ben C. Outman ◽  
Eva Masárova

In this article the authors study the impact of the mandatory International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) adoption has on the value relevance of accounting numbers based on a sample of 440 listed firms. The aim is to identify the effects of the mandatory IFRS adoption by relying on panel data gathered over the period 2002 to 2012 resulting in more than 4,840 firm-year observations. Two models of Panel regression (stock returns and price models) were employed. The main finding shows that the adoption of IFRS across the studied period results to some improvement in the value relevance of accounting information with the stock return model. With respect to the price models, our result shows that there was slight difference in the value relevance of accounting information after the mandatory IFR adoption across India listed firms.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-262
Author(s):  
Hesham I. Almujamed ◽  
Mishari M. Alfraih

Purpose This paper aims to explore how the characteristics of the board of directors (BoD) shape earnings and book value information available to market participants. Design/methodology/approach The authors investigated the impact of board size, presence of non-executives and role duality as proxies of effective corporate governance on the value relevance of financial reporting for 178 firms on the Kuwait stock exchange in 2013. Regression analysis based on Ohlson’s (1995) valuation model was used to test hypotheses. Findings The authors found that board size was significantly associated with company value and that Kuwaiti firms with large boards increased the value-relevance of earnings and book value. The influence of role duality was positive although not significant. The presence of non-executives on the board had a negative correlation with market value (not significant). Research limitations/implications These findings deliver empirical support for the prediction that the characteristics of the BoD improve the value relevance of financial reporting. Limitations such as small sample size and one-year duration of the study did not negate the basic findings, however. Future studies will use larger samples, longer duration and additional board characteristics. Practical implications This study provides empirical support for the hypothesis that board size influences market valuation. This study may benefit managers, investors and other decision-makers. Originality/value This study delivers empirical evidence on the impact of board characteristics on the value relevance of accounting information. It will be useful for regulators and market participants monitoring the influence of board characteristics on the value relevance of accounting information.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-342
Author(s):  
Mohamed Omran ◽  
Yasean A. Tahat

Purpose Drawing upon agency theory, this study aims to assess the value relevance (VR) of accounting information released by non-financial firms listed on the Kuwait stock exchange for the period of 2015-2018. Also, the influence of institutional ownership level and other explanatory variables, namely, book value per share, earnings per share, growth in assets and changes in financial leverage on share prices is examined. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses, the Ohlson (1995) model is extended. This study uses panel data analysis and applies appropriate statistical techniques to measure empirical relationships. Findings The results show that the VR of accounting information released by the Kuwaiti non-financial listed firms varies over the period of 2015-2018. Book value and earnings have significant and positive effects on share prices. In recent years, the VR of book value information has been growing, while that of earnings information has been declining. Institutional ownership level has a significant and positive influence on the VR of accounting information released by the Kuwaiti non-financial listed firms. The findings confirm a positive power, signalling growth in assets regarding the share prices. However, no significant relationship between changes in financial leverage and share prices is found. Practical implications The findings of the study provide evidence of the linkage between VR and institutional ownership level, which promotes the understanding of the influence of institutional investors on a firm’s market value. Empirical evidence from Kuwait will have international implications and can serve as a guide for accounting researchers studying other emerging markets. Capital market regulators can provide guidelines in the form of information characteristics and elements of financial statements that need improvement. Finally, the findings assist non-financial listed firms to enhance the quality of accounting information by identifying the strengths and weaknesses in their financial reports. Originality/value This study extends the previous literature by investigating a relatively new set of data in more depth than that has been examined by prior research, which focusses on the relationship between accounting information and the firm’s market value.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 196-206
Author(s):  
Mwila Mulenga ◽  
Meena Bhatia

For accounting information to be useful for decision making it is essential that it is relevant for decision-making and should have a significant relation with stock prices or stock returns. Value relevance research aims to explain the impact of accounting information on stock prices or stock returns. This study examines the value relevance of earnings and book values on listed Indian pharmaceutical companies’ stock prices by using the Ohlson price model. The study gathered a series of panel data from 2006 to 2015 from the Nifty Pharma index. Ordinary least square and panel regression estimation were done using EViews. The findings provide sufficient evidence of those earnings per share (EPS) and book value per share (BVPS) jointly and individually for the Nifty Pharma index sample played an essential role in influencing stock prices. However, there is an insignificant decline in the combined value relevance of EPS and BVPS. The findings reveal that the EPS and BVPS played an important role in influencing stock prices. However, explanatory powers of EPS and BVPS in all years are significantly lower than that of developed countries. Overall findings show mixed results on the considerable influence of firm size on the value relevance of accounting information. This study’s findings have implications for analysts, investors, and other market participants; they should use EPS and BVPS in the equity valuation of pharmaceutical companies for better allocation of resources in capital markets.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan George Shan ◽  
Indrit Troshani

PurposeThe study improves current understanding concerning the implications of digital corporate reporting technology on the informativeness of accounting information.Design/methodology/approachIt looks at how XBRL, an exemplar digital corporate financial reporting technology, affects value relevance of accounting information in the US and Japan, two key jurisdictions where XBRL has been mandated. We operationalise stock price and return value relevance models to assess and compare predicted associations between selected accounting measures and market value of equity in these countries.FindingsWe predict that the selected accounting measures are more value relevant after XBRL was mandated than before. We find evidence to support our prediction for the US sample. We also predict and find that the contribution of XBRL to the value relevance of the selected accounting measures is greater in the US than in Japan. Overall, our evidence provides support that digital corporate reporting technology enhances relevance and reliability of accounting measures.Originality/valueThe study appears to be the first to have examined the impact of XBRL on value relevance whilst comparing between two major jurisdictions. The study extends emerging but limited literature concerning the benefits of digital corporate financial reporting for enhancing the communication between firms and users of financial information. The findings are useful to both users of financial information and standard setters.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 721-739
Author(s):  
Ahmad Abdollahi ◽  
Yasser Rezaei Pitenoei ◽  
Mehdi Safari Gerayli

PurposeThe present study sets out to examine the effect of auditor's report and audit firm size on the value relevance of accounting information of the companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during the years 2008–2017.Design/methodology/approachThe study includes a sample of 1,530 firm-year observations drawn from the listed companies, and the research hypotheses were analyzed using multivariate regression model based on panel data.FindingsThe findings reveal that auditor's report and audit firm size are positively and significantly correlated with two indicators of the value relevance of accounting information including value relevance of earnings and book value per share. Also our results exhibit robustness to the alternative measure of auditor's attributes.Research limitations/implicationsAs far as we know, this is the first study to analyze the association between auditor's attributes and value relevance of accounting information in emerging capital markets, thereby generating certain implications for investors, managers, capital market policy makers and audit profession regulators in general and those in emerging markets in particular.Practical implicationsOur findings have implications for policy makers, regulators, managers and investors. Our evidence on the positive association between auditor's size and value relevance of accounting information should help policy makers and regulators which they improve value relevance of accounting information and financial reporting by integrating small audit firms and setting up larger audit firms.Originality/valueA rise in the value relevance of accounting information deserves further attention while drawing investment, selling the stocks of existing firms and increasing investor's decision-making ability. The way how auditor's attributes can promote the value relevance of accounting information is still open to new research.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver N. Okafor ◽  
Mark Anderson ◽  
Hussein Warsame

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether financial information prepared and disclosed under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) has incremental value relevance vs information prepared under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in Canada. Design/methodology/approach – The authors employ a difference in differences methodology and estimate value relevance using: first, the adjusted R2 of regressions of stock price on book value and earnings; second, the adjusted R2 of regressions of stock returns on earnings and changes in earnings; and third, a time series incremental association return estimation. The authors use multiple models including a model similar to the Ohlson (1995) model and a modified Balachandran and Mohanram (2011) model to investigate value relevance in the period 2008-2013. Findings – The authors provide empirical evidence, based on unique Canadian environment, that accounting information prepared and disclosed under IFRS exhibits higher price and returns value relevance than accounting information prepared previously under local GAAP. Sensitivity analyses and yearly trends regressions produce collaborating evidence. Originality/value – The study provides early empirical evidence that value relevance increases in mandatory IFRS adoption, based on unique Canadian adoption. The Canadian adoption is unique because Canada: first, is the first G7 non-European country to adopt IFRS; second, had pursued a dual strategy of harmonizing with the US GAAP while supporting IFRS convergence; third, provided information environment that mitigates the problems associated with measuring the effects of IFRS adoption in the European countries where IFRS or its predecessor – international accounting standards – had permeated the reporting environment prior to the mandatory adoption in 2005; and fourth, allowed firms listed on the US exchanges to continue to use or adopt the US GAAP for financial reporting and thus, provided a group of benchmark firms drawn from the same social-political and economic environment as the treatment firms. The study clarifies prior inconsistent results from European samples.


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Παναγιώτης Δημητρόπουλος

The present doctoral thesis aims to study the issues of value relevance and quality of accounting information within the context of the Greek capital market. Using a sample of Greek listed firms from all business sectors (including banking institutions) and applying alternative methodologies, we examined the main factors (internal and exrternal) which shape and determine the value relevance of accounting information. Our empirical evidence indicate that earnings (more than any other accounting figure) cash flows, common equity and accruals seem to have significant impact on investor‟s desicions and contribute to the valuation process of the Greek listed firms. Also the quality of accounting information seems to be positively affected from the efficiency of corporate governance, the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the quality of statutory audits. On the contrary, speculation and the adoption of the euro currency by the Greek government in 2001 have impacted negatively in the quality of accounting information.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge Agbodjo ◽  
Kaouther Toumi ◽  
Khaled Hussainey

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the value relevance of accounting information for Islamic, conventional and hybrid banks. It also investigates the moderation impact of IFRS adoption and AAOIFI mandatory adoption on value relevance of accounting information.Design/methodology/approachUsing value relevance models, The authors run panel data regressions on 47 Islamic banks, 112 conventional banks and 42 hybrid banks (conventional banks with Islamic windows). The study covers listed banks from 14 countries over the period 2010–2018.Findingspaper offers three empirical evidences. First, the authors find that value relevance of accounting information is higher for Islamic banks, compared to conventional banks. Second, the authors find that IFRS framework strengthens the relevance of accounting information in Islamic banks, but the authors did not find the same for hybrid banks. Third, the authors find that the mandatory adoption of AAOIFI accounting standards has a moderation effect on value relevance of accounting information for both Islamic banks and hybrid banks. The robustness analysis shows that there is a significant contribution of compliance with Islamic Finance rules in IBs and HBs, which substantially reduces managers' opportunistic behavior to manage accounting information.Research limitations/implicationsOne limit of this research is the reduced number of sampled listed IBs since the authors deleted countries that do not have both listed Islamic and conventional banks.Practical implicationsThe study is useful for investors that consider the Islamic ethical practices to make their investment decisions as well as for the standards-setting bodies that focus on establishing accounting standards for the Islamic banking industry.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the value relevance literature by providing novel evidence on the value relevance in fully-fledged Islamic, fully-fledged conventional and hybrid Banks. The authors also provide new evidence on the moderating role of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions standard (AAOIFI) for the value relevance of accounting information.


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