In this paper we empirically evaluate the widespread belief of managers that income smoothing results into lower stock market risk. Multivariate regressions confirm that a negative relation exists between discretionary income smoothing and idiosyncratic volatility. Further analysis indicates...

Good corporate reputations are critical because of their potential for value creation, but also because their intangible character makes replication by competing firms considerably more difficult. This paper tests the relationship between the reputation and the earnings quality. Though I find no...

This paper investigates the development of earnings quality for a sample of 5,817 firm years during the period between 1997 and 2006 using seven different measures (accounting- and market-based). As a result, overall earnings quality of German firms improves over time. However, the measures of...

Doubts about the reliability of a company's qualitative financial disclosure increase market participant expectations from the auditor's report. The auditing process is supposed to serve as a monitoring device that reduces management incentives to manipulate reported earnings. Empirical research...

We examine how the transition from local GAAPs to IAS/IFRS of companies that are publicly traded on a European stock exchange affects earnings management. To measure earnings management we apply 15 different proxies. In analyzing 17 European countries and more than 18,000 firm-year observations...

Accounting is the window of any business firm. With the increased usage of computers in the arena of the Accounting Information System, we can see a drastic change from paper-journals and ledgers to computer-based formats. So to walk along with this drastic change it is necessary to integrate...

We examine the consequences for the stock price movement of Andersen's German clients of several news events during the Enron crisis that were potentially damaging to the reputation of Enron's auditor Andersen. It seems to be likely that there may not only have been reputation-damaging effects...

This paper examines the 2005 financial disclosure for Evans and Tate Limited and its controlled entities. The first section of the paper examines the composition of the group, group profit, group taxation, and the impact of IFRS. One key finding is there is no estimate by the company as to the...

The separation of leases into operating and finance leases for accounting purposes can result in incentives to favour operating lease contracts since they avoid on-balance sheet debt. The IASB is conducting an active research project on leasing, following the G4+1 group's research on possible...

This paper examines whether analysts resident in a country make more precise earnings forecasts for firms in that country than analysts who are not resident in that country. Using a sample of 32 countries, we find that there is an economically and statistically significant analyst local...