We present a multiperiod agency model of stock based executive compensation in a speculative stock market, where investors have heterogeneous beliefs and stock prices may deviate from underlying fundamentals and include a speculative option component. This component arises from the option to...

We examine the effect of earnings surprises on changes in information asymmetry. We hypothesize and find that asymmetry is lower (higher) in the quarter following positive (negative) earnings surprises compared to firms that meet the consensus analyst earnings forecast. The relations between...

Flotation costs represent a significant loss of capital to firms and are positively related to information asymmetry between managers and outside investors. We measure a firm's information asymmetry by its accounting information quality based on two extensions of the Dechow and Dichev earnings...

We examine whether rational investor responses to information uncertainty explain properties of and returns to accounting-based trading anomalies. We proxy for information uncertainty with two measures of earnings quality: the standard deviation of the residuals from a Dechow and Dichev [2002]...

This study describes a quot;cheap-talkquot; model in which sellers can credibly convey unverifiable information by choosing whether or not to exaggerate verifiable information. We find that unexaggerated claims can communicate favorable unverifiable information if buyers are not too likely to...

This paper examines the impact of the management of reported earnings on the returns-earnings relationship. Two alternative types of earnings management behavior are modeled: myopic earnings management and income smoothing.In each setting, the manager of a firm privately observes the realized...

The paper assesses the value of the information contained in management's determination of the accounting treatment for software development costs. The assessment is made in the context of the initial public offerings (IPO) market and is based on the effect of the accounting treatment on...

The adverse consequences of poor earnings quality have been the subject of significant debate among academics, practitioners and regulators. However, the empirical evidence on pricing implications of earnings quality is sparse and controversial. We examine one potential consequence of poor...

We examine competing explanations of the accruals anomaly, fixation and agency, using insider trading patterns and valuation measures. Quadratic regressions which control for confounding effects confirm an asymmetric relationship between trades and accruals concentrated on the selling side,...

We explore how the readability of annual reports varies with earnings management. Using the Fog Index to measure readability (Li 2008), and focusing on the management discussion and analysis section of the annual report (MD&A), we predict and find that firms most likely to have managed earnings...