We find that IPO firms engage in real and accrual earnings management during the IPO and that big-N audit firms constrain discretionary expenses-based and accrual-based manipulations. The restriction of these forms of earnings management leads IPO firms to resort to a higher level of sales-based...

We examine the information content of high accruals momentum defined as a string of high discretionary accruals for four consecutive years. We find that firms that consistently report high levels of discretionary accruals experience low subsequent returns. The results are robust after we control...