We show that the agency theory of overvalued equity (see Jensen, 2005) rather than investors' fixation on accruals explains the accrual anomaly, i.e., abnormal returns to an accrual trading strategy (see Sloan, 1996).Under the agency theory of overvalued equity, managers of overvalued firms are...

This article solves a model that links earnings quality to the equity risk premium in an infinite-horizon consumption CAPM economy. In the model, risk-averse traders hold diversified portfolios consisting of a risk-free bond and shares of many risky firms. When constructing their portfolios,...

This study analyzes the information conveyed by the restatements of financial reports. We argue that restatements contain news about the investment projects of the restating firms' competitors. This news causes competitors to revise their beliefs about the projects' value, and to modify their...

This paper examines how one aspect of earnings quality - discretionary accruals - affects subsequent capital investment pattern and efficiency. We find that, conditional on investment opportunities, investment in fixed assets in period t is less sensitive to internal cash flows for firms with...

This paper examines whether firms cut Ramp;D spending in response to short-term earnings pressures and how equity markets interpret such behaviour. Failure to report positive earnings and earnings growth increases the probability of a subsequent cut in Ramp;D spending, while pressure to report...

In this paper, we investigate how the accounting measurement basis affects the capital market pricing of a firm's shares, which, in turn, affects the efficiency of the firm's investment decisions. We distinguish two broad bases for accounting measurements: input-based and output-based...

There is a widespread concern among practitioners and corporate managers that transactions which result in changes in future earnings-per-share (quot;EPSquot;) have real effects on stock prices, irrespective of whether these changes reflect differences in future cash flows. As a result,...

Overinvestment in certain firms or sectors induced by corporate fraud, where informed insiders strategically manipulate outside investors' beliefs by exaggerating financial performance and economic prospects, has been endemic historically, and has recently attracted much attention. Building on...

This is Professor Cunningham's Introduction to his renowned edited collection of Warren Buffett's famous letters to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The collection was originally prepared for a symposium held in New York City in 1997 and has been regularly updated through five editions,...

This paper examines how one aspect of earnings quality - discretionary accruals - affects subsequent capital investment pattern and efficiency. We find that, conditional on investment opportunities, investment in fixed assets in period t is less sensitive to internal cash flows for firms with...