Does Mandatory Adoption of IFRS Enhance Earnings Quality? Evidence From Closer to Home

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (01) ◽  
pp. 1950003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gopal V. Krishnan ◽  
Jing Zhang

The global accounting convergence and the often discussed probable adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by U.S. regulators is a timely topic. We contribute to the literature by examining a more recent mandatory IFRS adoption by Canada. Canadian GAAP (CGAAP) is often considered a close substitute for U.S. GAAP. One key feature of this setting is that two earnings numbers are available for fiscal year 2010 since Canadian firms were required to reconcile earnings under CGAAP with earnings under IFRS. We run a “horse race” of earnings quality between earnings under CGAAP and IFRS. We find that on average, relative to IFRS-earnings, earnings under CGAAP have greater association with next period cash flows and higher degree of persistence. Further, when the difference between earnings under CGAAP and IFRS is large, IFRS-earnings are less value-relevant and less persistent. These results strongly support the notion that higher earnings quality is associated with CGAAP. Finally, the results also indicate that differences between CGAAP and IFRS with regard to accounting for financial instruments and investments significantly impair the quality of IFRS-earnings. Our findings are potentially informative to any revival of policy debates on the possible adoption of IFRS by U.S. firms.

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaegyung Jung

Korea has decided to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) since 2011 in order to enhance quality of financial accounting information. However, there are certain issues that fair value accounting of IFRS may deteriorate earnings quality. I investigate whether the proxies of earnings quality used in Francis et al. (2004) such as persistence, predictability, accrual quality, and smoothness are influenced after the adoption of IFRS in Korea. I find that the trend of persistence and predictability quality shows decreasing patterns over time, suggesting that the deterioration of consistency with local GAAP may have a negative impact on the proxies of earnings quality. However, the difference of earnings quality between in post-IFRS era and pre-IFRS is not significant. In other words, trend of earnings quality after the adoption of IFRS is improved. My results mean that the trend of earnings quality in Korea shows V-shaped line, indicating that IFRS is well established and successful accounting standards in Korean capital market.


Author(s):  
RAFAEL CONFETTI GATSIOS ◽  
JOSÉ MARCOS DA SILVA ◽  
MARCELO AUGUSTO AMBROZINI ◽  
ALEXANDRE ASSAF NETO ◽  
FABIANO GUASTI LIMA

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aims to assess the impact of adopting IFRS standard on the equity cost of Brazilian open capital companies in the period of 2004-2013. Originality/gap/relevance/implications: The adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards aims to increase the quality of accounting information. Studies performed in Europe suggest that, after the adoption of the IFRS standard, there was a reduction in the equity cost of companies due to the reduction of information asymmetry and risk. Key methodological aspects: The equity cost was calculated using the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) adapted to the Brazilian case. The empirical strategy was the difference analysis in differences, comparing the results of companies that voluntarily adopted the IFRS with companies that adopted IFRS after the mandatory adoption period. Summary of key results: The results indicate that the adoption of the IFRS standard does not contribute to reduce the equity cost in Brazil. Key considerations/conclusions: Suggesting that the process of adopting the international accounting standard may take more time to impact the equity cost of Brazilian open capital companies, since the impact of IFRS is not related only with the adoption, but also with its use by companies and users.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Zeghal ◽  
Sonda M. Chtourou ◽  
Yosra M. Fourati

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the question whether the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is associated with higher accounting quality. More specifically, we investigate whether the application of IFRS in 15 European Union (EU) countries is associated with less earnings management and higher timeliness, conditional conservatism, and value relevance of accounting numbers. Our results suggest that there has been some improvement in accounting quality between the pre- and post-IFRS adoption periods. In particular, we find that firms exhibit an increase in the accounting-based attributes, but a decrease in the market-based after the adoption of IFRS in 2005. Interestingly, the findings are more pronounced for the firms in countries where the distance between the pre-existing national GAAP and IFRS is important. Furthermore, we are unable to identify any change within firms that have converged their local GAAP toward IFRS before the mandatory transition.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-250
Author(s):  
Jee Hoon Yuk ◽  
Wook Bin Leem

This study investigates whether earnings quality of Korean listed firms was substantially improved after the IFRS adoption in long-term aspect and which firms listed in KOSPI or KOSDAQ market had been more enjoyed the benefit. Prior studies related to this subject don’t provide consistent results and have a limitation of insufficiency of research periods. Therefore, this study analyzes the positive effect of the IFRS adoption in Korea using long-term based approach and comparative analysis on each Korean stock market. Furthermore, this study considered Korean specific institutional environment in which main financial statements prepared and disclosed by listed firms were changed from individual financial statements to consolidated financial statements after the IFRS adoption. Results of the study found that earnings quality of Korean listed firms had been significantly improved during 5 years after the IFRS adoption. In addition, earnings quality on consolidated financial statements of KOSDAQ listed firms has improved more than that of KOSPI listed firms. The results provide meaningful implications to evaluate the effects of IFRS adoption on earnings quality and to assess accomplishment of fundamental purpose of the IFRS adoption in Korea.


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.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Lea McAnally ◽  
Sean T. McGuire ◽  
Connie D. Weaver

SYNOPSIS: The potential conversion of accounting standards from U.S. GAAP to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) raises the issue of unknown financial reporting consequences. We consider one important accounting issue, namely equity-based compensation, and study how IFRS conversion will affect financial statements and the quality of reported numbers. The difference between the two standards is that IFRS reports tax benefits from equity-based compensation at their intrinsic value each period. This amounts to quasi fair-value accounting under IFRS compared to historic-cost accounting under GAAP. We develop and compare pro forma GAAP and IFRS accounting reports for a broad cross section of U.S. firms. We find that IFRS yields lower deferred tax assets and recognized tax benefits for approximately two-thirds of the option grants in our sample. Moreover, reported tax items will be more volatile under IFRS and these effects will be more pronounced for firms with greater option use and stock price volatility. Importantly, we find that IFRS tax items are better able to predict future cash flows. One conclusion is that IFRS improves the relevance, and thereby, the quality, of at least some reported numbers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 1895-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwen Yu ◽  
Aida Sijamic Wahid

ABSTRACT Do differences in countries' accounting standards affect global investment decisions? We explore this question by examining how accounting distance, the difference in the accounting standards used in the investor's and the investee's countries, affects the asset allocation decisions of global mutual funds. We find that investors tend to underweight investees with greater accounting distance. Using the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as an event that changed the accounting standards of various country-pairs, we examine how two sources of changes in accounting distance—(1) changes due to IFRS adoption of the investee, and (2) changes due to IFRS adoption in the investor's country—affect global portfolio allocation decisions. We find that the tendency to underinvest in investees with greater accounting distance significantly weakens when accounting distance is reduced, either from an investee's IFRS adoption or from IFRS adoption in the investor's country. The latter finding holds despite the fact that IFRS adoption in the investor's country had no impact on the accounting standards under which the investee firms present their financial information; the only change is in the investor's familiarity with these standards. This suggests that differences in accounting standards affect investor demand by imposing greater information-processing costs on those less familiar with the reporting standards.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 488-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Medhat Naguib El Guindy

This paper investigates the effect of reporting under International Financial Reporting Standards (hereafter IFRS) versus reporting under UK GAAP on earnings management in the UK. Prior studies find mixed evidence regarding the effect of voluntary and mandatory adoption of IFRS on earnings quality. I test whether the effect of reporting under IFRS on earnings management is sufficient to overcome earnings management incentives. Furthermore, I test whether the effect of IFRS reporting is conditional on audit quality surrogated by audit firm size. I build the analysis on measures of discretionary accruals and earnings benchmark tests. I find evidence that reporting under IFRS generally reduces levels of earnings management and furthermore, the mitigating effect of IFRS is stronger for income decreasing than for income increasing earnings management. In addition, I find that audit quality plays a key role in IFRS reporting, with only firms audited by big four auditors having a significant IFRS reporting effect.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Isabel Morais ◽  
Ana Fialho ◽  
Andreia Dionísio

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence regarding the classification of European countries based on accounting quality metrics. The authors investigate whether the grouping of countries based on accounting quality levels differs from other classifications based on accounting practices or country-specific factors identified in previous studies. Design/methodology/approach The authors run panel data regressions for 2.078 European listed companies using value relevance and earnings smoothing metrics. The authors also apply cluster analysis to classify the countries. Findings The results suggest that the adoption of a common set of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) did not lead to a similar level of accounting quality of financial information. The authors identified three clusters of countries that are not coincident with previous classifications. Research limitations/implications The results show that the adoption of different accounting practices allowed in IFRS does not necessarily influence accounting quality. Practical implications The results suggest that the way regulators decided to incorporate IFRS into national accounting systems is one issue that may be relevant in explaining the three clusters. Originality/value The paper provides empirical evidence that supports two theoretical assertions. The first is that a classification depends entirely on the characteristics used to represent the countries being classified. The second is that the adoption of a single set of accounting standards does not determine similar accounting practices and does not lead to similar levels of accounting quality.


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