Incentives to Inflate Reported Cash from Operations Using Classification and Timing

2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lian Fen Lee
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Credit Rating ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Firm Characteristics ◽  
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ◽  
Cash Flow Forecasts ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows ◽  
Investment Grade

ABSTRACT This study examines when firms inflate reported cash from operations in the statement of cash flows (CFO) and the mechanisms through which firms manage CFO. CFO management is distinct from earnings management. Unlike the manipulation of accruals, firms cannot manage CFO with biased estimates, but must resort to classification and timing. I identify four firm characteristics associated with incentives to inflate reported CFO: (1) financial distress, (2) a long-term credit rating near the investment/non-investment grade cutoff, (3) the existence of analyst cash flow forecasts, and (4) higher associations between stock returns and CFO. Results indicate that, even after controlling for the level of earnings, firms upward manage reported CFO when the incentives to do so are particularly high. Specifically, firms manage CFO by shifting items between th estatement of cash flows categories both within and outside the boundaries of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), and by timing certain transactions such as delaying payments to suppliers or accelerating collections from customers. Data Availability: Data are available from public sources identified in the study.

Does the Ability of Operating Cash Flows to Measure Firm Performance Improve during Periods of Financial Distress?

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong Eun Lee ◽  
Robson Glasscock ◽  
Myung Seok Park
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Stock Returns ◽  
Shapley Value ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Earnings Information ◽  
Operating Cash Flows ◽  
The Shapley Value ◽  
Jel Classifications

SYNOPSIS This study examines whether the associations between stock returns and earnings, and stock returns and cash flows from operations (OCF), vary during periods of firm-specific financial distress. We find that a firm's stock returns are more strongly associated with its OCF than its earnings when the firm is in financial distress. In a regression of stock returns on both OCF and earnings, and interactions of these two variables with an indicator for financial distress, the Shapley value, which measures contribution to the regression R2, is higher for the interaction of OCF with distress than for the interaction of earnings with distress. We also find that the strength of the observed return-OCF relation increases in a market-wide crisis. These findings support the view that investors, in times of firm distress, place significantly more weight on OCF information than on earnings information. JEL Classifications: G01; G10; M41. Data Availability: Data used in this study are available from public sources identified in the study.

Revisiting the (Mis)Pricing of Accruals

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-156
Author(s):  
Bradley Lail ◽  
Robert C. Lipe ◽  
Han S. Yi
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Null Hypothesis ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Investor Behavior ◽  
Reliability Measures ◽  
Accrual Anomaly ◽  
Earnings Components ◽  
Jel Classifications

Our paper examines inconsistent conclusions regarding the accrual anomaly and demonstrates the importance of aligning regression specifications with hypotheses. Richardson, Sloan, Soliman, and Tuna (2005) conclude that accruals are mispriced and the mispricing seems to increase as accrual reliability decreases. Barone and Magilke (2009) and Ball, Gerakos, Linnainmaa, and Nikolaev (2016) conclude that cash flows rather than accruals are mispriced. We show that the divergent conclusions come from misalignment between the null hypothesis and regression specification in Richardson et al. (2005) . In addition, analysis of the contemporaneous relations between stock returns and components of earnings supports an initial underreaction to cash flows by investors. We fail to detect links between the reliability measures in Richardson et al. (2005) and investor behavior once we align the statistical tests with the null hypothesis. Our reexamination of prior findings benefits accounting academics, standard setters, and others interested in how investors use earnings components. JEL Classifications: M41. Data Availability: All data used in this study are publicly available from the sources identified in the text.

scholarly journals Financial Distress Prediction Through Cash Flow Ratios Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amrizah Kamaluddin ◽  
Norhafizah Ishak ◽  
Nor Farizal Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Efficiency Ratio ◽  
Financial Distress Prediction ◽  
Distress Prediction ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Solvency Ratio ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this study to examine the relationship of cash flow ratios in predicting financial distress companies, with industrial and consumer product companies in Bursa Malaysia as the sample. The study on financial distress is critical as it can lead to bankruptcy, which may adversely affect the economy of the country. Therefore it is worth exploring any indicators that can identify the possibility of financial distress in the company. The tools enable to address the potential problems that can mitigate from distressed financial position.  Most prior studies in Malaysia focus on traditional financial ratios, while this study exploits the strength of cash flow ratios. The liquidity ratio, solvency ratio, efficiency ratio and profitability ratio utilized in this study are derived from the statement of cash flows. The Altman Z-score is used to measure the level of the financial distress. The findings show mixed relationships between solvency ratio and financial distress and a negative significant relationship between profitability ratio and financial distress, whilst efficiency ratio has no relationship with the financial distress. These results suggest that cash flow ratios are reliable tools to predict financial distress for Malaysian context. The study is useful in giving insights to the stakeholders in their decision making.

The Effects of Financial Statement and Informational Complexity on Analysts’ Cash Flow Forecasts

2008 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 915-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Hodder ◽  
Patrick E. Hopkins ◽  
David A. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Forecast Error ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Indirect Approach ◽  
Operating Cash Flows ◽  
Cash Flow Forecasts ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows ◽  
Mixed Pattern ◽  
Cash Flow Forecast

ABSTRACT: We characterize the operating-activities section of the indirect-approach statement of cash flows as backward because it presents reconciling adjustments in a way that is opposite from the intuitively appealing, future-oriented, Conceptual Framework definitions of assets, liabilities, and the accruals process. We propose that the reversed-accruals orientation required in the currently mandated indirect-approach statement of cash flows is unnecessarily complex, causing information-processing problems that result in increased cash flow forecast error and dispersion. We also predict that the mixed pattern (i.e., +/−, −/+) of operating cash flows and operating accruals reported by most companies impedes investors’ ability to learn the time-series properties of cash flows and accruals. We conduct a carefully controlled experiment and find that (1) cash flow forecasts have lower forecast error and dispersion when the indirect-approach statement of cash flows starts with operating cash flows and adds changes in accruals to arrive at net income and (2) cash flow forecasts have lower forecast error and dispersion when the cash flows and accruals are of the same sign (i.e., +/+, −/−); with the sign-based difference attenuated in the forward-oriented statement of cash flows. We also conduct a quasi-experiment to test our mixed-sign versus same-sign hypotheses using archival samples of publicly available I/B/E/S and Value Line cash flow forecasts. We find that the passively observed samples of cash flow forecasts exhibit a similar pattern of mixed-sign versus same-sign forecast error as documented in our experiment.

PENGARUH INFORMASI LABA AKUNTANSI, ALIRAN KAS DAN KOMPONEN ALIRAN KAS TERHADAP HARGA SAHAM PADA PERUSAHAAN MANUFAKTUR DI INDONESIA

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Ferry Ferry ◽  
Erny Ekawati
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Stock Prices ◽  
Stock Price ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows ◽  
The One

Brfoo 1994, the one way measurcd pdormance of go public compa4y is earning afier tu, but on September 7, 1994 the Indonesian Institute olAccountants (IAI) published the statement of financial Accounting Standard (PSAK) No.2, "statement of Cash Flows" requires companiesto pubtish the statewent of cash flows beginning from January I, tggs. So investors had two kinds measurement of performance go public companies.The objective of study is to aplain the influence of informationcontent of accounting income, total cash Jlows, and components of cash flow with stock price in lidonesian manufacuring firms The accounting income is earning afiir ta,tc before extra ordinary item and discontinued operations and total cash flows is a sum of cash flow from operating activities, cash llow from investing activities, and cash tlow from financing activities.This study was constitute replicated study from Triyono and Yogiyanto (2000) about the association of information content of total cash flows, components of cash Jlows, and accoun:ting income with stock prices or stock returns. This study took sample frorn manufacnring firms lisfed in the Jakarta Stock Exciange @ni) from 1999-iOOZ tnoT"had pubtished aadited financial statement. Stock prices using monthly prices that hadended December 1999-2002. The statistics method used to test ltypotheses is a linier multiple regression. The model was considered: levek')odet.  The empirical results with using the first model levels about the influ. hence information of accounting income and total cash flows with stock prices can be explained accounting income gave positive influence and significant with stock prices whereas total cash flows gcMe negative and tlgnil*nt with stock prices. In the second model levels about the influ- ,i"i ,nyn *ation of cash flow from operating actiu.ities, cash flow from investing activities, and cash flow from financing octivities with stock pri, i* b" explained, separated total gash fl9ws into.yomponents. of 'cash flows gave negative influence and significant with stock prices "rp"ifolly iash ltoi from aperating octivities and c-ash flow from finincing activities. In the third model levels obout influence information of acciunting income and components of cash Jlows with stock prices irn be expliined, accounting income gave positive inlluence and significont with stock prices whereas companents of cosh tlows gNe negative influence and significant with stock prices'Keywords : accounting Income, cash Flows, components of cashflows, levels model

Comparing US-GAAP and Iran-GAAP operating cash flows to predict future cash flows

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-65
Author(s):  
Reza Janjani
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Financial Analyst ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ◽  
Operating Cash Flows ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows ◽  
Future Cash Flows

Purpose – The main objective of this paper is to compare the ability of US-generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) operating cash flows versus Iran-GAAP operating cash flows in predicting future cash flows. Design/methodology/approach – The sample comprises 240 firms (1,200 firm-years) during the period from 2004 to 2008 for which operating cash flows and other variables are available. Cross-sectional and panel data regression models are used in testing the hypotheses. Findings – This study finds that operating cash flows based on Iran-GAAP are no more effective in predicting future cash flows than those based on USA-GAAP, and the predictive ability of the model is improved by adding the earnings accrual components to the operating cash flows. Originality/value – The study suggests that the Iranian accounting standard setting committee recommends that the statement of cash flows be prepared based on the three-category model instead of the five-category model in an attempt to converge with the International Financial Reporting Standards. Consistent with Financial Accounting Standards Board and financial analyst recommendations, the results reveal that earnings are a better predictor than cash flows from operations.

scholarly journals The impacts of free cash surplus flows, audit quality and ownership on earnings management: The Jordan case

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4-1) ◽  
pp. 222-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Mushref Salim Al-Omush ◽  
Ali Mohammad Al-Attar ◽  
Walid Muhammad Masadeh
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Fund Flows ◽  
Mixed Support ◽  
Cash Flow Statement ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows

This paper primarily aims to identify and evaluate the effect of Free Cash Surplus flows, Audit Quality and the ownership on Earnings Management. The study shows that financial distress has a significant impact on earnings management for samples on the Jordanian listed companies during (2003-2016). The Cash Flow Statement provides information on the flow of cash in and out of the organization over a specific period. It shows how an organization spends its money (cash outflows) as well as the source of the money (cash inflows). The Cash Flow Statement – additionally alluded to as the statement of cash flows or fund flows, which is one of the financial statements that is often utilized in the measurement of an organization’s financial performance and overall wellbeing. The study also investigates the prevalence of both accrual and base earnings management for the empirical corporate finance which claims that the better corporate governance constraints between earnings management and the relation of high free-cash -flows firms the more will the increase will be at the income management and the earnings management. Although, the research has addressed the issues of earnings management and the real activities handling; this research paper put these two issues together. The analysis provides a mixed support when using different earnings management detection models. The findings of this study could serve as a guideline to a proper and understanding of earnings management to public listed companies, regulators, and various stakeholders

scholarly journals Is The Scaling Measure Used For Cash Flows Important In Predicting Financially Distressed Firms?

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry J. Ward
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Financial Distress Prediction ◽  
Distress Prediction ◽  
Distressed Firms ◽  
Financially Distressed ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows ◽  
Operating Activities

This paper attempts to determine whether the measure used to scale the three net cash flows reported on a statement of cash flows affects binary financial distress prediction results. The results of this study suggest that the scaling measure used does affect the incremental predictive ability of each cash flow. Results indicate that tone should scale cash flow from operating activities by current assets, cash flow from investing activities by sales, and cash flow from operating activities by owners equity.

Analyst reaction to non-articulation between the balance sheet and the statement of cash flows

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-184
Author(s):  
Peter Frischmann ◽  
K.C. Lin ◽  
Dilin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Earnings Forecast ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cash Flow Forecasts ◽  
Analyst Earnings ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of non-articulation on analyst earnings forecast quality. The authors look for evidence on the relationship between non-articulation and analyst earnings forecast properties: forecast inaccuracy, forecast dispersion and forecast bias. Design/methodology/approach The empirical tests are primarily based analyst earnings and cash flow forecasts covered by Institutional Broker Estimate System and financial statement information obtained from Compustat North America database. Findings The authors hypothesize and find that non-articulation is positively related to analyst forecast dispersion, forecast accuracy and forecast bias for one-year ahead of earnings. The effects of non-articulation on analyst earnings forecast inaccuracy and bias are neutralized when the analyst issues a cash flow forecast and when such forecast provides accurate information regarding the forecasted firm’s operating cash flow. On the other hand, cash flow forecast issuance alone does not mitigate the negative influence of non-articulation. Research limitations/implications The sample selection procedure limits the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications The findings confirm CFA Institute and prior research asserting that non-articulation deteriorates the quality of earnings forecasts by financial statement users (more specifically, the financial analysts). The authors add to the literature by documenting that accurate cash flow forecasts help analysts mitigate the negative influence of non-articulation on earnings forecast quality. Originality/value It remains an empirical question whether non-articulation between the balance sheet and the statement of cash flows has an effect on financial statement users’ ability to assimilate financial information. The paper highlights the detrimental effect of non-articulation by documenting the relationship between the non-articulation and the quality of earnings expectation.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Cash Flows and Stock Returns: An Empirical Study of Financial Investment Banks on the Khartoum Stock of Exchange

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Sayed Abbas Bala
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Investment Banks ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
Investment And Financing ◽  
Important Quality ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

This study aims to test the relationship between cash flows from operational, investment, and financing activities individually and jointly, and the stock returns of financial investment Banks on the Khartoum stock exchange. Using an analytical approach, the study analyzes the financial statements for 2010-2015. The statistical analysis showed no statistically significant relationship between cash flows from operations, investment, and financing activities individually or jointly, and stock returns of financial investment Banks on the Khartoum Stock Exchange. This study yielded several recommendations such as that the statement of cash flows requires a special awareness because it provides important, quality information that reflects the ability of the firm to meet obligations and function as a going concern, which is useful for users in making decisions.

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