Tangible Long-Lived Asset Impairments and Future Operating Cash Flows under U.S. GAAP and IFRS

2017 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Gordon ◽  
Hsiao-Tang Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Value ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Operating Cash Flows ◽  
Reporting Incentives ◽  
Asset Impairments ◽  
Jel Classifications

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the predictive value of tangible long-lived asset impairments for changes in future operating cash flows under U.S. GAAP and IFRS. We find that impairments reported under IFRS are negatively associated with changes in future operating cash flows, whereas those under U.S. GAAP, on average, are not. We investigate whether differences in the predictive value are attributable to differences in recognition or measurement, providing evidence suggesting that impairment recognition under U.S. GAAP is delayed. Evidence also suggests that the value-in-use measurement attribute, allowed under IFRS, does not induce under-impairing as IFRS and U.S. GAAP impairments are similarly related to future impairments. The main result of a negative association under IFRS, but not U.S. GAAP, holds after considering future impairments to control for measurement differences, macro-economic factors, and firm reporting incentives. Further, impairment losses under IFRS are more predictive in high-enforcement countries. JEL Classifications: D78; F02; M16; M41; G38. Data Availability: Data used are available from sources identified in the paper.

Critical Accounting Estimate Disclosures and the Predictive Value of Earnings

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Glendening
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Uncertainty ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Securities And Exchange Commission ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Accounting Measurement ◽  
Accounting Estimates ◽  
Future Cash Flows ◽  
Disclosure Practice ◽  
Jel Classifications

SYNOPSIS In the early 2000s, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) called on firms to provide new Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) disclosures about their critical accounting estimates (CAEs). The quantitative sensitivity disclosures outline reasonably likely changes in firms' highly uncertain accounting estimates and allow firms to communicate with users about accounting measurement uncertainty. Using a sample of S&P 500 firms, I find that the predictive value of earnings with respect to future cash flows is negatively associated with the presence of a CAE disclosure. Consistent with the SEC's intended purpose of the new disclosure practice, this finding suggests that CAE disclosures convey instances of heightened accounting measurement uncertainty and potentially aid users in assessing the level of uncertainty in accounting estimates. JEL Classifications: M41.

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.

Clawbacks and Earnings Management

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn B. Levine ◽  
Michael J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Interim Report ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Period Model ◽  
Jel Classifications

ABSTRACT This study addresses the effect of clawbacks on earnings management (EM). In a two-period model, the manager can report truthfully or distort an interim report using either accrual or real EM. The principal can make short-term payments based on a manipulable accounting signal and long-term payments based on unmanipulable cash flows. The strength of the clawbacks determines the likelihood that the manager's compensation is reclaimed when the interim report was managed. Stronger clawback provisions may result in (1) a substitution between accrual and real earnings management, or (2) earnings management when no earnings management was optimal with weak clawbacks, and (3) lower expected profits for the principal. Numerical analysis suggests that strong clawbacks do not reduce aggregate earnings management. JEL Classifications: J33; M48; M52; G38. Data Availability: All data are simulated.

Do Investors Perceive Low Risk When Earnings are Smooth Relative to the Volatility of Operating Cash Flows? Discerning Opportunity and Incentive to Report Smooth Earnings

2016 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devon Erickson ◽  
Max Hewitt ◽  
Laureen A. Maines
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Operating Cash Flows ◽  
Risk Judgments

ABSTRACT A fundamental accounting question is whether investors perceive low risk when earnings are smooth relative to the volatility of operating cash flows. We conduct two experiments to examine this question. Absent additional information concerning the likelihood of earnings management, our first experiment finds that investors give managers the benefit of the doubt and perceive low risk when earnings are relatively smooth. Given this finding, our second experiment examines whether additional information that supports investors' suspicions of earnings management affects investors' risk judgments when earnings are relatively smooth. We find that investors no longer give managers the benefit of the doubt when additional information suggests that managers have either the opportunity or the incentive to report smooth earnings. Our study provides important insights to the literature concerning both “whether” and “when” relatively smooth earnings affect investors' risk judgments. Data Availability: Contact the authors.

An Analysis of “Little r” Restatements

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine E. L. Tan ◽  
Susan M. Young
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Multivariate Tests ◽  
Material Weaknesses ◽  
Free Cash Flows ◽  
Jel Classifications

SYNOPSIS “Little r” restatements occur when a firm's immaterial errors accumulate to a material error in a given year. Unlike “Big R” restatements that must be reported through an SEC 8-K material event filing, little r restatements do not require an 8-K form or a withdrawal of the auditor opinion. This paper documents this previously unexamined form of restatement and analyzes the characteristics of the firms that have used this method of correcting accounting errors over the period 2009 through 2012. Contrary to concerns voiced by regulators and research agencies we find, in multivariate tests, that little r firms are generally more profitable, less complex, and show some evidence of stronger corporate governance and higher audit quality than Big R firms. Compared to non-revising or restating firms, little r firms have lower free cash flows, higher board expertise, higher CFO tenure, are less likely to use a specialist auditor, and less likely to have material weaknesses in their internal controls. We also find that the majority of little r firms do not include any discussion of why these little r's occurred. We discuss policy implications related to disclosure of little r revisions. JEL Classifications: M41; M48; G38. Data Availability: All data used in this study are publicly available from the sources indicated.

Firm-Specific Estimates of Differential Persistence and their Incremental Usefulness for Forecasting and Valuation

2015 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 811-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Call ◽  
Max Hewitt ◽  
Terry Shevlin ◽  
Teri Lombardi Yohn
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Trading Strategies ◽  
Significant Excess ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Operating Cash Flows ◽  
Earnings Components ◽  
Out Of Sample ◽  
Jel Classifications

ABSTRACT Although the differential persistence of accruals and operating cash flows is a firm-specific phenomenon, research seeking to exploit the differential persistence of these earnings components typically employs cross-sectional forecasting models. We find that a model based on firm-specific estimates of the differential persistence of accruals and operating cash flows is incrementally useful for out-of-sample forecasting relative to state-of-the-art cross-sectional models. In doing so, we show that firm-specific estimates of differential persistence are particularly useful when forecasting earnings for more stable firms (e.g., more profitable, lower growth, and less levered firms). We also demonstrate that a trading strategy exploiting investors' fixation on earnings and based on firm-specific estimates of differential persistence earns statistically and economically significant excess returns that are incremental to those generated by trading strategies based on the size of accruals. These results suggest that firm-specific estimates of differential persistence are incrementally informative for forecasting and valuation. JEL Classifications: M41.

Do Stock-Based Compensation Deferred Tax Assets Provide Incremental Information about Future Tax Payments?

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Johnston ◽  
Lisa Kutcher
Keyword(s):  
Stock Options ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Employee Stock Options ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Deferred Tax Assets ◽  
Incremental Information ◽  
Restricted Stock ◽  
Tax Payments ◽  
Deferred Tax ◽  
Jel Classifications

ABSTRACT We explore whether an accounting treatment similar to that required under IFRS improves the ability of the stock-based compensation component of deferred tax assets to predict future tax payments, relative to U.S. GAAP. Using hand-collected data for S&P 500 firms, we estimate the deferred tax assets related to employee stock options (ESOs) and restricted stock units (RSUs). We find that the RSU deferred tax asset is negatively related to future cash tax payments, while we fail to find that the ESO deferred tax asset is. However, after reducing the ESO and RSU deferred tax assets by their corresponding estimated impairments, we find that both variables are negatively associated with future tax payments. Additional analysis provides evidence that supports the conjecture that using a revaluation approach to account for stock-based compensation deferred tax assets may be more useful in predicting future tax cash flows, relative to current U.S. GAAP. JEL Classifications: H25; M41.

Do PCAOB Inspections Improve Working Capital Accrual Reliability? Evidence from the PCAOB Annual versus Triennial Inspection Exposure

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheol Lee ◽  
Jong Eun Lee ◽  
Myung Seok Park
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Earnings Persistence ◽  
Working Capital ◽  
Improve Working ◽  
Future Earnings ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Jel Classifications ◽  
Better Than

SYNOPSIS In this study, we examine whether the ability of working capital (WC) accruals to predict future earnings and cash flows differs between registrants whose auditors are subject to annual Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) inspections and those whose auditors are subject to triennial PCAOB inspections. We find that WC accruals of clients audited by auditors subject to annual PCAOB inspections enhance earnings persistence more and map into future cash flow realizations better than those audited by auditors subject to triennial PCAOB inspections. These findings are stronger for operating asset accruals than for operating liability accruals. Furthermore, after PCAOB inspection reports are released, improvements in WC accrual reliability are more evident for clients audited by annually inspected auditors than for clients audited by triennially inspected auditors. Overall, our findings suggest that more frequent PCAOB inspections help to improve WC accrual reliability. JEL Classifications: M41; M42; M48. Data Availability: The data are publicly available from the sources identified in the paper.

Comparing the Value Relevance, Predictive Value, and Persistence of Other Comprehensive Income and Special Items

2011 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 2047-2073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise A. Jones ◽  
Kimberly J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Value ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Special Items ◽  
Comprehensive Income ◽  
Other Comprehensive Income ◽  
Gains And Losses ◽  
Future Cash Flows

ABSTRACT Gains and losses reported as other comprehensive income (OCI) and as special items (SI) are often viewed as similar in nature: transitory items with little ability to predict future cash flows and minimal implications for company value. However, current accounting standards require SI gains and losses to be recognized in net income, while OCI gains and losses are deferred until realized. This study empirically compares OCI and SI gains and losses using a model that jointly estimates value relevance, predictive value, and persistence. Results show that both SI and OCI gains and losses are value-relevant, but SI gains and losses exhibit zero persistence (i.e., are transitory), while OCI gains and losses exhibit negative persistence (i.e., partially reverse over time). Further, we find that SI gains and losses have strong predictive value for forecasting both future net income and future cash flows, while OCI gains and losses have weaker predictive value. Data Availability: All data are publicly available from sources indicated in the text.

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