In this study, we investigate whether U.S. high-technology firms are more or less conditionally conservative relative to low-technology firms. If U.S. high-tech firms are required to expense immediately all R&D costs according to the accounting standard SFAS 2, which reflects unconditional...

We present evidence consistent with managers using opportunistic Special Purpose Entities (SPE) and discretionary accruals as substitutes to manage reported earnings. Using a sample of industrial US listed firms for the period 2000-2004; we estimate a set of simultaneous equations that captures...

This study examines the incremental impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) on the market valuation of the discretionary component of banks' provision for loan losses. The SOX provides an interesting context for testing the efficacy of corporate governance provisions developed in the professional...