We confirm the existence of three irregularities noted in prior research related to reported earnings per share (EPS). First, the unusual pattern in the second digit of reported EPS noted by Thomas (1989) that the second digit of EPS is more likely to be zero and five and less likely to be nine...

This paper explores possible links between overproduction and future gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Specifically, we examine the direct effect of overproduction on future GDP growth as well as the moderating effect of overproduction on the relation between aggregate earnings growth and...

Theory posits that managerial holdings of debt (“inside debt”) align managers' incentives with those of outside debtholders. Executive pensions, which consist of ERISA-qualified rank-and-file (RAF) plans and Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs), and other deferred compensation...

Pension experts have long conjectured that pension accounting rules encourage firms to invest pension assets in risky asset classes (Zion and Carcache 2003, Gold 2005). The recent passage of IAS 19 Employee Benefits (Revised) (hereafter, “IAS 19R”) marks a fundamental shift in pension...

The discount rate represents a critical choice in accounting for corporate defined-benefit pension plans due to the long-term nature of pension liabilities. U.S. GAAP and IFRS mandate the AA corporate bond rate. Their requirement is subject to much debate, with the risk-free rate and the...

In the setting of defined benefit pension liabilities, we hypothesize that equity and debt investors value these liabilities differently. As expected, we find that investors' valuations of equity more closely align with a going concern perspective that emphasizes the long-term funding needs of...

We show that managers increase the volume of public financial guidance in response to decreases in analyst coverage of their firms. This result is driven by the post-Regulation Fair Disclosure period, and is stronger for firms with higher sales growth and firms with lower resulting levels of...

Pension freezes are highly visible corporate actions with the potential to hurt the firms’ reputation as a “responsible” employer. We document that firms sponsoring defined-benefit pensions step up CSR engagement following announcements of defined-benefit pension freezes. Freeze firms also...

Corporate defined-benefit (DB) pension sponsors in the US are increasingly on a path of “derisking” – by moving pension assets away from equities and towards fixed-income securities that better match the obligations, or by transferring obligations off their balance sheets entirely, via...