Whereas the relations derived for price-earnings (P/E) ratios predict a positive relation with future earnings growth and negative relations with interest rates and risk, prior empirical investigations of the determinants of P/E ratios find these links to be weak. One reason commonly offered for this apparent inconsistency is the presence of transitory earnings components in the denominator. We...

We argue that high quality firms that expect larger quantity of cash flows in the near future are more likely to actively smooth earnings via discretionary accruals before seasonal equity offerings to reduce underpricing. If high quality firms are confident about future earnings, it is also plausible to assume that they also push their offer prices up more aggressively, and lessen the degree of...

The private pension structure in the United States, once dominated by defined benefit (DB) plans, is currently divided between defined contribution (DC) and DB plans. Wealth accumulation in DC plans depends on the participant's contribution behavior and on financial market returns, while accumulation in DB plans is sensitive to a participant's labor market experience and to plan parameters. Thi...

We examine whether earnings management spreads from firm to firm via board connections. We find that contagion of accounting quality occurs via directors in interlocking boards with other firms. A firm with director links to firms that restated earnings tends to have poorer accounting quality and higher likelihood of restating its own financial reports. A firm with director links to firms that ...

This study examines the association between different institutional investors’ ownership and earnings management practice using a neural networks approach. It investigates this relationship for a sample of 121 US firms. We examine also the effect of institutional ownership on the level of accruals management of firms having different information environment (S&P 500 versus non S&P 500). Results...

This study investigates whether Australian targets manage their earnings during takeover bids. A sample of 65 firm-years that were subject to takeover offers during the period 1999-2003 is selected. Each treatment firm-year is matched by industry and size with a control firm-year not subject to a takeover bid. Three Discretionary Accruals models are used: the DeAngelo (1986) model, the Jones (1...

This study investigates how corporate governance characteristics affect earnings management of firms in Vietnam. In particular, we examine whether firm’s use of discretionary accruals is influenced by board size, state ownership and foreign ownership. Our empirical analysis is based on a relatively large sample of 570 non-financial Vietnamese listed firms from 2010 to 2014. We find that larger ...