Do IPO Firms Misclassify Expenses? Implications for IPO Price Formation and Post-IPO Stock Performance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaotao (Kelvin) Liu ◽  
Biyu Wu
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Price Formation ◽  
Special Items ◽  
Final Offer ◽  
Price Range ◽  
Classification Shifting ◽  
Core Earnings ◽  
Public Offering ◽  
Share Information

This study investigates whether initial public offering (IPO) firms inflate “core” earnings through classification shifting (i.e., misclassifying core expenses as income-decreasing special items) immediately prior to IPOs. We provide initial evidence that IPO firms engage in classification shifting in the pre-IPO period. Using hand-collected price and share information from IPO prospectuses, we find that pre-IPO classification shifting is positively associated with a price revision from the midpoint of the initial price range to the final offer price, suggesting that pre-IPO classification shifting influences IPO price formation. Furthermore, we find that pre-IPO classification shifting is negatively associated with post-IPO stock returns. Overall, our findings caution investors, auditors, and regulators that classification shifting, a seemingly innocuous accounting maneuver, can mislead investors in their IPO valuation and is associated with post-IPO underperformance. This paper was accepted by Brian Bushee, accounting.

Managing Earnings Using Classification Shifting: Evidence from Quarterly Special Items

2010 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 1303-1323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Fan ◽  
Abhijit Barua ◽  
William M. Cready ◽  
Wayne B. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Fourth Quarter ◽  
Positive Relation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Earnings Expectations ◽  
Special Items ◽  
The Core ◽  
Classification Shifting ◽  
Earnings Benchmarks ◽  
Core Earnings

ABSTRACT: McVay (2006) concludes that managers opportunistically shift core expenses to special items to inflate current core earnings, resulting in a positive relation between unexpected core earnings and income-decreasing special items. However, she further notes that this relation disappears when contemporaneous accruals are dropped from the core earnings expectations model. McVay (2006) calls for research to improve the core earnings expectations model and to provide additional cross-sectional tests of classification shifting. Using a core earnings expectations model that is not dependent on accrual special items, we show that classification shifting is more likely in the fourth quarter than in interim quarters. We also find more evidence of classification shifting when the ability of managers to manipulate accruals appears to be constrained and in meeting a range of earnings benchmarks. Overall, our evidence provides broad support for McVay’s (2006) conclusion that managers engage in classification shifting. Our study also sheds new understanding of the conditions under which managers are more likely to employ classification shifting.

R&D investment decisions of IPO firms and long-term future performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Fedyk ◽  
Natalya Khimich
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Offering ◽  
D Investment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to link valuation of different accounting items to research and development (R&D) investment decisions and investigate how suboptimal R&D choices during initial public offering (IPO) are linked to future operating and market underperformance. Design/methodology/approach For firms with substantial growth opportunities, accounting net income is a poor measure of the firm’s performance (Smith and Watts, 1992). Therefore, other metrics such as R&D intensity are used by investors to evaluate firms’ performance. This leads to a coexistence of two strategies: if earnings are the main value driver, firms tend to underinvest in R&D; and if R&D expenditures are the main value driver, firms tend to overinvest in R&D. Findings The authors show that the R&D investment decision varies systematically with cross-sectional characteristics: firms that are at the growth stage, unprofitable or belong to science-driven industries are more likely to overinvest, while firms that are able to avoid losses by decreasing R&D expenditure are more likely to underinvest. Finally, they find that R&D overinvestment leads to future underperformance as evidenced by poor operating return on assets, lower product market share, higher frequency of delisting due to poor performance and negative abnormal stock returns. Originality/value While prior literature concentrates on R&D underinvestment as a tool of reporting higher net income, the authors demonstrate the existence of an alternative strategy used by many IPO firms – R&D overinvestment.

Successful Aramco sale may squeeze Saudi finances

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Public Investment ◽  
Investment Fund ◽  
Economic Diversification ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Price Range ◽  
High Valuation ◽  
Crown Prince ◽  
Public Offering

Significance The initial public offering (IPO) of a 1.5% stake in Saudi Aramco on December 6 reached the top end of the recommended price range, giving the company a relatively high valuation of 1.7 trillion dollars and netting a record 25.6 billion dollars for the Public Investment Fund (PIF) -- a vindication for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The shares were sold mainly to Saudi and regional investors. Impacts The PIF will deploy sale proceeds as part of a drive for economic diversification, both domestically and in acquiring global assets. Aramco’s commitment to generous dividends could pose problems if oil prices weaken. PIF spending of the domestic sale proceeds will lead to a foreign exchange outflow, either directly or through new imports.

Do Revenues Matter More Than Earnings for Initial Public Offerings?

2021 ◽  
pp. 0148558X2110465
Author(s):  
Norman Massel ◽  
Jung Eun “JP” Park ◽  
Ken Reichelt
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Initial Public Offerings ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Securities And Exchange Commission ◽  
Additional Analysis ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Revenue Recognition ◽  
Public Offerings ◽  
Regulatory Scrutiny ◽  
Public Offering

We demonstrate that investors in initial public offering (IPO) firms value revenues and that the number of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revenue recognition comment letters issued on the S-1 registration statement are positively associated with reported revenues. We also find that IPO managers report revenues opportunistically in the fiscal year just prior to the offer. In additional analysis, we find that discretionary revenues are associated with significantly higher first day IPO stock returns but significantly lower 1 year stock returns. Our results are consistent with the incentives of managers to report revenues opportunistically outweighing the higher monitoring and regulatory scrutiny pre-IPO.

IPO overvaluation and returns prior to lockup expiration

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 1392-1410 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Stephen Haggard ◽  
Yaoyi Xi
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Price Reduction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Investment Portfolios ◽  
Public Offering ◽  
Lockup Expiration ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Lockup Period

Purpose Conventional wisdom says that the price reduction stocks experience at expiration of the initial public offering (IPO) lockup period is due to relaxation of selling constraints. Findings from more recent literature question this explanation. The purpose of this paper is to examine a different cause for this price drop, IPO overvaluation. Design/methodology/approach Using the IPO overvaluation measures of Purnanandam and Swaminathan (2004), the authors examine IPO lockup period stock return differences between stocks in the highest and lowest overvaluation quintiles. Findings The authors show that the IPO lockup period price reduction is strongly related to overvaluation. Zero-investment portfolios long in the lowest overvaluation quintile and short in the highest overvaluation quintile of IPO firms have positive significant returns. Practical implications IPO investors can use the technique to identify firms likely to underperform in the IPO lockup period, potentially avoiding bad investments. Originality/value This is the first study to link IPO lockup period stock returns to IPO overvaluation, providing evidence on the impact of both overvaluation and short-selling constraints on stock returns in the IPO lockup period.

scholarly journals Study on the Relationship Between the Audit Committee of Ipo Firms and the First-Day Stock Earnings

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
She Zhangying
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Stock Returns ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Public Offering ◽  
The Relationship

This paper mainly discusses the relationship between the audit committee of IPO firms and the stock returns on the first day of trading on the stock exchange. Using the sample of 21 firms that made an initial public offering in ASX between 2008 and 2010, Regression analysis was used to conclude that the existence of the audit committee of IPO firms and listed on the first day of the stock returns have no significant direct relationships. The result shows that the audit committee has no effect on the earnings of the first day of listing, and the establishment of the audit committee may not be considered before listing.

scholarly journals MANAJEMEN LABA, RETURN SAHAM, DAN KINERJA OPERASI SEBAGAI PEMODERASI

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Farid Addy Sumantri ◽  
Purnamawati .
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Stock Returns ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Stock Return ◽  
Operating Performance ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Return On Assets ◽  
One Year ◽  
Public Offering ◽  
The Relationship

<p><em>The purpose of this study was to determine the indications of the practice of earnings management at the time of the IPO, one year after the IPO, and two years after the IPO. This study also examined the effect of earnings management on stock returns and operating performance in moderating the relationship between earnings management and stock returns.</em></p><p><em>The study sample comprised 33 firms that go public in the year 2007 to 2011 using a purposive sampling method. Earnings management is proxied by discretionary accruals using the Modified Jones Model, which used proxy for the stock return is cummulative abnormal returns (CAR), while for the company's operating performance used proxy for the return on assets (ROA).</em></p><p><em>The results showed that there were indications of earnings management at the time of the IPO, one year after the IPO, and two years after the IPO with a lower profit rate. No effect on earnings management is proxied by stock return cummulative abnormal returns (CAR). Operating performance of the company also can not moderate the relationship between earnings management with stock return.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>Keywords: Earning Management, Initial Public Offering, Cummulative Abnormal Return, </em><em>Return On Asset</em></p>

scholarly journals The need for transparency, responsibility and accountability: the case of facebook IPO

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 316-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Maria Cervellati ◽  
Adriano Di Sandro ◽  
Luca Piras
Keyword(s):  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
Marketing Activity ◽  
The Road ◽  
Price Range ◽  
Public Offering

This paper aims to describe and critically analyse the Facebook Initial Public Offering (IPO), initially focusing on the pre-IPO assessments made by underwriters, and then comparing them with the market evidence. The initial weak performance disappointed all those investors believing in a fast stock increase, causing in turn the rise of bad expectations about the company’s projects. As a matter of fact, the stock trend did not reflect the enthusiasm that the financial community showed during the IPO’s marketing activity or during the road show. The stock demand was far superior than the supply during all the pre-IPO activities, and even after the upward revisions of the price range. Thus, the assessment of the valuation methods used to set the offer price plays a key role to explain the reasons of the stock performance. We analyse analysts’ reports to investigate the reasons of their distorted valuations. The case of the Facebook IPO stresses the importance of supervision to ensure transparent financial statements and protect investors. Lack of transparency, wrong corporate culture and conflicts of interest may provoke stock crashes and damage investors and the financial system overall. Ensuring integrity of financial reporting and monitoring systems is thus essential to ensure responsibility, as well as accountability.

Investor Horizon and CEO Horizon Incentives

2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 1299-1328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Cadman ◽  
Jayanthi Sunder
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Investment Horizon ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Short Horizon ◽  
Public Offering

ABSTRACT: We examine the relation between shareholder investment horizon and chief executive officer (CEO) horizon incentives derived from compensation contracts. We find that influential incumbent shareholders provide managers with short-horizon incentives to maximize current firm value when these shareholders plan to sell their stock. Specifically, we use the initial public offering (IPO) setting in which venture capitalists (VCs) represent short-horizon, controlling investors with strong selling incentives after the IPO. We predict and find that VCs' short-term incentives influence CEO's annual horizon incentives following the IPO. At the same time, institutional monitoring limits the influence of VCs on annual, short-horizon incentives. To preempt this disciplining by market participants, VCs grant equity prior to the IPO that correspond with their short-horizons and result in shorter portfolio horizon incentives for the CEO after the IPO. We also document a positive relation between long-run abnormal stock returns and horizon incentives, consistent with horizon incentives influencing management actions. Data Availability: All data are publicly available from the sources indicated in the paper.

Earnings Management and IPO Anomalies—Evidence from Indian Stock Market

2021 ◽  
pp. 227853372199471
Author(s):  
Aprajita Pandey ◽  
J. K. Pattanayak
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Stock Returns ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Public Offering ◽  
High Level ◽  
Long Term Performance ◽  
Indian Stock Market ◽  
Term Performance ◽  
The Relationship

This study examines the relationship between the extent of earnings management in a firm, the level of underpricing during an initial public offering (IPO), and their long-term performance. Earnings management has been acknowledged as a matter of concern during IPOs since long; however, its relationship with underpricing and long-term returns remained inconclusive in emerging markets like India. Using a sample of Indian IPO firms, this study finds that firms that manage accruals aggressively in the pre-IPO period have high initial returns and subsequently low stock returns in the post-IPO period. This study also observed that firms that have used abnormal accruals more conservatively while reporting earnings have better returns in the third year after IPO compared to the firms that reported more aggressively. The results are in consonance with the theory of information asymmetry and suggest that valuation of an IPO firm becomes ambiguous with high level of earnings management, which leads to higher underpricing.

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