The quality of earnings in Shariah-compliant companies: evidence from Malaysia

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan Adibah Wan Ismail ◽  
Khairul Anuar Kamarudin ◽  
Siti Rahayu Sarman

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the quality of reported earnings in the corporate reports of Shariah-compliant companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – This study hypothesises that companies with Shariah compliance status have higher quality of earnings because of greater demand for and supply of high-quality financial reports. The quality of reported earnings is measured using the cross-sectional Dechow and Dichev (2002) accrual quality model. The study uses a balanced panel data of 3,048 observations from 508 companies during a six-year period of 2003-2008. Findings – This paper finds robust evidence that Shariah-compliant companies have significantly higher earnings quality compared to other firms. The results provide support for the arguments that Shariah-compliant companies supply a higher quality of reported earnings to attract foreign investment, have greater demand for high-quality financial reporting because of their Shariah status and are subject to greater scrutiny by regulators and institutional investors. Research limitations/implications – This study contributes to the existing literature on Islamic capital market, business ethics, firms’ governance and financial reporting quality. The study would give a better understanding on issues relating to earnings quality of Shariah-compliant companies and would be especially useful for financial statement users, including investment analysts. Originality/value – This paper provides evidence on the quality of earnings in Shariah-compliant companies and offers new arguments that explain why such companies possess higher quality of earnings compared to their counterparts.

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-291
Author(s):  
Gaurav Kumar ◽  
Jagjit S. Saini

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of choice of accounting standards on the value relevance and accrual quality of reported earnings and book values under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) versus US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Design/methodology/approach The authors examine the effect of choice of accounting standards on the value relevance and accrual quality of reported earnings and book values under IFRS versus US GAAP using 404 firms from 37 countries listed in the USA. They use the modified Jones (1991) model to measure accruals. Findings The authors find that value relevance of the book value of equity is increasing (significantly) when the sample firms use IFRS to prepare their financial statements. They also find some evidence in support of the mediating effect of the choice of accounting standards on the accrual quality of the sample firms. The results of this paper indicate that sample firms with lower accrual quality (larger discretionary accruals) experience higher returns during the fiscal year. However, the authors also find that the positive association between size of discretionary accruals and returns is decreasing in the use of IFRS by the sample firms. Originality/value This paper adds to prior literature on the harmonization of accounting standards and emphasizes the role of accounting standards in the quality of financial reporting. By using the financial data of all foreign registrants listed in the USA, the authors are able to provide deeper and more representative evidence.


Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Masomeh Tagribi ◽  
Shayan Farhangdoust

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
T.G. Saji

PurposeThe mandatory adoption/convergence of IFRS has increased the information quality of reported earnings in equity markets across the globe. The purpose of the study is to explore whether the mandatory convergence of Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) affect the financial reporting quality of listed firms in India.Design/methodology/approachThe sample includes 355 non-financial publicly listed firms on National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India with 1,065 firm-year observations. The authors use models similar to Jones (1991), and DeFond and Jiambalvo (1994) to investigate value relevance in the period “1st January 2017 to 31st December 2019”. The study uses the quantile regression (QR) analysis to verify our hypothesis.FindingsThe findings suggest that IFRS convergence process adds value to accounting quality of reported earnings in Indian stock market. The authors' QR estimations produce collaborating evidence on the uneven impact of IFRS across quantiles and the financial reporting quality skewed in favour of investors of high-valued firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe effects of convergence with IFRS in value relevance of financial statements could be reinforced by considering alternate accrual models and incorporating more accounting measures on an expanded sample of stocks from several global markets.Practical implicationsPresently, convergence of local accounting standards to IFRS in India is only partial. The findings may produce useful insights for regulators and standard setters to further increase the value relevance of financial reports whilst they move towards full convergence.Originality/valueThe study explores the information quality of reported earnings of Indian listed firms in post-IFRS convergence period, which is not properly investigated in the literature. Moreover, the research is unique in terms of applying QR estimations to examine the value relevance of IFRS-converged financial reporting from the emerging market perspective.


Author(s):  
Joohyun Lim ◽  
Jaehong Lee ◽  
jinho Chang

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the association between financial reporting quality in target companies and acquisition profitability in a sample of 280 acquisitions in South Korea between 2002 and 2011. Design/methodology/approach – Using the accruals quality measure developed by McNichols (2002) as a proxy for financial reporting quality, it was found that high-quality financial reporting in target companies is associated with more profitable acquisitions for the acquirer, as measured by the acquirer’s announcement returns. Findings – It was found that high-quality financial reporting in target companies is associated with more profitable acquisitions for the acquirer, as measured by the acquirer’s announcement returns. This finding suggests that higher-quality accounting information leads to better decision-making during acquisitions. It was also found that the importance of financial reporting quality increases when information about the target company is scarce. In addition, it was found that the financial reporting quality of target companies is less important when the agency costs of the acquirer are high. Practical implications – This analysis also complements several recent papers that examine target firm accounting information and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) returns (Shalev and Martin, 2009; McNichols and Stubben, 2012). By expanding this analysis, the authors help to provide a more complete understanding of how target firm’s accounting quality relates to the valuation of the target company and future expected synergies in M&A deal practice. Originality/value – This study is one of a growing body of literature on the relations between financial reporting quality and investment decisions (Bens and Monahan, 2004; Biddle and Hilary, 2006; Hope and Thomas, 2008; McNichols and Stubben, 2008; Biddle et al., 2009; Francis and Martin, 2010). These results extend and generalize the results of prior studies, in that data pertinent to acquisition profitability of M&As in South Korea are used.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 2693-2710
Author(s):  
Riski Suaidah ◽  
Nurzi Sebrina

This study aims to examine the effect of the quality of financial reporting and the level of debt maturity on investment efficiency. This research is a causative research. The population in this study are manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2015-2017. Using the purposive sampling method, there are 88 companies as research samples. The investment efficiency variable is measured using growth opportunities, the financial reporting quality variable is measured by the accrual quality model, and the debt maturity variable is measured by the short-term debt ratio. The type of data used is secondary data obtained from www idx.co id. The analytical method used is panel regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that the quality of financial reporting has a positive and significant effect on investment efficiency, and the level of debt maturity has a positive and significant effect on investment efficiency.


2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-116
Author(s):  
Hafiza Aishah Hashim ◽  
Susela Devi Suppiah

This paper examines the relationship between the role of non-executive (independent) chairman and the quality of reported earnings. Recent corporate governance reforms recommend firms to appoint an independent leader to ensure the success of a split leadership structure (The Combined Code on corporate Governance, 2006; Higgs Report, 2003). Research on leadership structure to date has tended to focus solely on role duality and find weak or insignificance relationship between role duality and financial reporting quality. Although separating the roles of the chairman and the CEO seems appropriate, researcher argue that it would not necessarily lead to independence of the board if the chairman is not independent. Consistent with recent recommendations to strengthen board leadership by appointing an independent chair, this study evidences a positive and significant association between non-executive chairman and earnings quality in Malaysia. The study suggests that the non-executive status of the chairman is an important mechanism in enhancing the board‟s independence, thus improving earnings quality.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 293-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Ames ◽  
Chris S. Hines ◽  
Jomo Sankara

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether earnings quality attributes are reflected in AM best's financial strength ratings (FSRs), a measure widely used in the insurance industry to assess financial health. Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of insurance companies during the period 2006-2012, the authors measure the quality of reported earnings using three accounting-based measures: earnings persistence, accrual quality, and earnings smoothness. Findings – The authors find that better earnings persistence, higher accrual quality, and less earnings smoothing are reflected in higher FSRs for both public and private insurers, with the magnitude of the effect greater for private insurers. Originality/value – This is the first study of which the authors are aware that seeks to understand the impact, if any, of variations in the quality of reported financial information on the perceived financial health of firms by ratings agencies in the insurance industry. The authors also include a novel research design in assessing the determinants of financial health ratings. Users of FSRs should be aware of the impact of ownership structure on ratings agencies’ propensity to incorporate reported earnings attributes in their ratings.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (04) ◽  
pp. 1850022
Author(s):  
Yaseen S. Alhaj-Yaseen ◽  
Kean Wu ◽  
Leslie B. Fletcher

This paper examines the changes in earnings quality of registered American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as a result of switching accounting standards. We aim to shed light on the potential impact of International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) adoption on US firms. A suboptimal approach to achieve this goal is through examination of US firms’ surrogates such as ADRs. Unlike previous studies, we made a distinction between registered and unregistered ADRs and affirmed that registered ADRs are the closest surrogates with which to conduct our analysis because they are exclusively required to adhere to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s stringent disclosure requirements. When cross-listing their equity on the US exchanges, foreign issuers can file their financial reports with the SEC using IFRS, US GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), or their domestic GAAP with reconciliation to US GAAP. An improvement in earnings quality is documented when ADRs adopt US GAAP or IFRS versus domestic GAAP. However, when the comparison is made between US GAAP and IFRS, no difference in earnings quality is documented. These results indicate that switching to high-quality accounting standards is likely to improve earnings quality. This improvement is maximized when the difference between reporting standards is high and minimized if otherwise. Our conclusion is that the adoption of IFRS in the US is unlikely to change earnings quality of local issuers. Moreover, we drew a distinction between reconciliation with and adoption of high-quality accountings standards and find that while the former can enhance earnings quality, the latter can further improve it.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Mousavi Shiri ◽  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Fatemeh Abbasi ◽  
Shayan Farhangdoust

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabih Nehme ◽  
Mohammad Jizi

Purpose The quality of financial reporting for the financial institutions is vital for the public, as the negative consequences of manipulated financial statements will not only affect shareholders but also the regulators’ reputation and the society at large. The purpose of this paper is to assess the association between different corporate governance mechanisms and their impact on audit and reporting quality. The gender factor is introduced from a diverse boards’ perspective to highlight any impact of female presence on the quality of financial statements. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine a sample of financial institutions listed on the FTSE-350 index for the years 2011 to 2015. The financial sector has its own and different regulations, and financial reporting framework and auditors are expected to behave into more scrutiny. Bloomberg database is used to obtain governance and financial data, while firms’ annual reports are used to collect audit fees and audit committee information. A panel data regression is used to test hypotheses. The authors also control for unobservable heterogeneity, reverse causality and endogeneity. Findings The results suggest that boards with larger size and higher independence pay higher audit fees to enhance the monitoring capacity and protect the wider group of stakeholders. The results also show that women on boards are likely to reduce the risk of manipulated financial statements, as women are more inclined toward truthfulness, cautiousness and conservatism. In addition, the reported results show that audit committees with more independent members are more inclined toward obtaining higher quality audit to enhance firm’s reporting quality. Originality/value Given the recent governments’ intervention to avoid financial institutions’ negative impact on the economy, this study is relevant and provide policymakers insights into the existing relationships between audit fees and financial institutions’ governance structure.


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