We analyze the main forces affecting financial system pro-cyclicality (the fact that developments in the financial sector can amplify business cycle fluctuations). We first review some major structural developments in financial markets that may influence pro-cyclicality and that have been...

This paper investigates the association between goodwill impairment losses and proxies of economic impairment, earnings management incentives and corporate governance mechanisms. The results demonstrate significant associations between proxies of economic impairment and goodwill impairment...

While it is generally accepted that legitimacy is a desirable feature of accounting standards, ‘legitimacy' remains vaguely defined. Accordingly, I develop a model which highlights the role that accounting plays in classifying a manager's strategically structured transactions. The model...

While comparability across firms and consistency over time are generally held to be fundamental goals of financial reporting, I provide an analytic representation of a concept that explains why concepts-based accounting standards cannot assure comparability and why their induced consistency may...

We examine the economic determinants of short-sale supply, and its consequences for future stock returns. Lendable supply increases with expected borrowing costs and decreases with financial statement constructs that indicate overvaluation. Although rising loan fees help ease supply, we find...

This paper provides an overview of current government schemes promoting corporate reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and analyses their main building blocks. It describes the drivers and challenges for governments, companies and investors in dealing with GHG reporting and includes 4...