This study investigates the effect of firms' adoption of SFAS No. 131 segment disclosure rules on the stock market's ability to predict the firms' earnings, as captured by the forward earnings response coefficient (FERC). The FERC is the association between current-year returns and next-year...

Auditors' low-balling in initial engagements is a longstanding concern for regulators and others. We examine the determinants and consequences of low-balling using more recent data. We provide evidence that auditors are likely to low-ball if they are “Big N” auditors, expect future revenues...

This study examines whether auditors' industry expertise is negatively associated with underpricing of seasoned equity offerings (SEO) and whether the association between auditors' industry expertise and SEO underpricing changes around the global financial crisis (GFC). Using a sample of 2,028...

This study investigates client choice of industry specialist auditors from among the Big N (Big 4 or 5) in an international (non-U.S.) setting. We investigate client-specific, industry-level and country-level factors hypothesized to enhance or decrease Big N clients' demand for industry...

Users alleged that, under SFAS No. 14, many large and complex firms 'under-reported' their segments. A primary reason offered to justify this behavior was managers' desire to avoid competitive harm that supposedly would arise from disclosing sensitive segment profits to competitors, customers...