Abnormal Audit Fees and Earnings Management Using Classification Shifting

Abnormal Audit Fees and Earnings Management Using Classification Shifting PDF Author: Xudong (Daniel) Li
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
Prior research has intensively debated whether abnormal audit fees purely indicate audit effort or client-auditor economic bonding (Francis 2011). However, this empirical debate is mostly based on the findings of the associations between audit fees and accrual-based earnings management. Unlike accrual-based earnings management, earnings management through classification shifting does not change the bottom-line numbers and thus involves lower litigation costs. Given the difference in litigation costs between the two forms of earnings management, the effect of abnormal audit fees on the incentives of auditor in dealing with the behavior of earnings management could be different. It is thus interesting to examine how audit fees affect auditors' incentives on their clients' earnings management with potential lower litigation risks.Using data from years 2000-2010, we find a significant and positive cross-sectional association between the magnitude of abnormal audit fees and the level of classification shifting, a result supporting the notion that greater abnormal audit fees allow for more earnings management through classification shifting. This observed result further indicates that using abnormal audit fees to purely measure audit effort or economic bonding might be questionable as the effect of abnormal audit fees on opportunistic accounting practices could differ, depending on the specific form of earnings management activities associated with the level of potential litigation costs.

Auditors' Response to Classification Shifting

Auditors' Response to Classification Shifting PDF Author: Mai Dao
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The purpose of this study is to examine how external auditors react to clients' earnings management through classification shifting. It draws on the argument that auditors perceive earnings management as a reflection of managers' opportunism and potential litigation risk. Using audit fees, audit report lags and modified audit opinion as proxies for auditors' responses, we find that classification shifting is positively associated with audit fees, audit report lags and the likelihood of auditors issuing a modified audit opinion. Our findings remain the same when we use a propensity score matched sample. An additional analysis shows that abnormal audit fees are higher in firms with classification shifting. Overall, our results suggest that auditors tend to be more conservative when auditing firms with misclassification. As such, auditors charge a fee premium, make more audit effort, and report more conservatively when the clients engage in classification shifting activities.

Earnings Management Using Classification Shifting and Internal Control Weaknesses Over Financial Reporting

Earnings Management Using Classification Shifting and Internal Control Weaknesses Over Financial Reporting PDF Author: 高祖祥
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 63

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Book Description


Earnings Management

Earnings Management PDF Author: Joshua Ronen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387257713
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 587

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Book Description
This book is a study of earnings management, aimed at scholars and professionals in accounting, finance, economics, and law. The authors address research questions including: Why are earnings so important that firms feel compelled to manipulate them? What set of circumstances will induce earnings management? How will the interaction among management, boards of directors, investors, employees, suppliers, customers and regulators affect earnings management? How to design empirical research addressing earnings management? What are the limitations and strengths of current empirical models?

Reporting Financial Performance

Reporting Financial Performance PDF Author: Accounting Standards Board
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Accounting
Languages : en
Pages : 66

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Book Description


Introduction to Earnings Management

Introduction to Earnings Management PDF Author: Malek El Diri
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319626868
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description
This book provides researchers and scholars with a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of earnings management theory and literature. While it raises new questions for future research, the book can be also helpful to other parties who rely on financial reporting in making decisions like regulators, policy makers, shareholders, investors, and gatekeepers e.g., auditors and analysts. The book summarizes the existing literature and provides insight into new areas of research such as the differences between earnings management, fraud, earnings quality, impression management, and expectation management; the trade-off between earnings management activities; the special measures of earnings management; and the classification of earnings management motives based on a comprehensive theoretical framework.

Evidence on the Tradeoff Between Real Manipulation and Accrual Manipulation: to 25; Pages:26 to 50; Pages:51 to 75; Pages:76 to 100; Pages:101 to 120

Evidence on the Tradeoff Between Real Manipulation and Accrual Manipulation: to 25; Pages:26 to 50; Pages:51 to 75; Pages:76 to 100; Pages:101 to 120 PDF Author: Amy Yunzhi Zang
Publisher: ProQuest
ISBN: 9780549163251
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description


Earnings Management Pressure on Audit Clients

Earnings Management Pressure on Audit Clients PDF Author: Nathan J. Newton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This study investigates whether auditors respond to earnings management pressure created by analyst forecasts. Analyst forecasts create an important earnings target for management, and professional standards direct auditors to consider how this pressure could affect their clients. Using annual analyst forecasts available during the planning phase of the audit, I examine whether this form of earnings management pressure affects clients' financial statement misstatements. Next, I investigate whether auditors respond to earnings forecast pressure through audit fees and reporting delay. I find that higher levels of analyst forecast pressure increase the likelihood of client restatement. I also find that auditors charge higher audit fees and delay the issuance of the audit report in response to pressure from analyst expectations. Finally, I find that when audit clients are subject to high analyst forecast pressure, a high audit fee response by auditors mitigates the likelihood of client misstatements. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/151105

Classification Shifting, Abnormal Earnings Dynamics, and Stock Valuation

Classification Shifting, Abnormal Earnings Dynamics, and Stock Valuation PDF Author: Ahmed Abdalla
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 58

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Book Description
We examine the information content of earnings components conditional on the existence of misclassification of earnings in the income statement. We develop a vector autoregression (VAR) of a set of accounting variables that accommodates, besides other variables, two components of transitory earnings; a core component reflecting shifted core earnings and a transitory component reflecting purified transitory earnings. Our model analysis derives two properties of shifted core earnings. Shifted core earnings forecast future abnormal earnings similar to reported core earnings, and shifted core earnings provide a "bad news" signal of management incompetence. Using special items as measure of a transitory line item that is potentially contaminated by shifted earnings, we provide empirical evidence in support of the former. We propose and find empirically that purified special items are transitory. Nevertheless, our evidence suggests that stock prices do not fully reflect the heterogeneity between the core and transitory components of special items, but rather overstate the entire amount of special items when shifting is suspected.

Managing Earnings Using Classification Shifting

Managing Earnings Using Classification Shifting PDF Author: Alaa Zalata
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Accounting
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This thesis also examines whether external auditors and corporate governance are able to mitigate classification shifting practices. The results show that high quality auditors are less likely to question the proper classification of recurring items. However, high quality internal governance in terms of board and audit committee are more likely to challenge management accounting practices, especially, the disclosure of exceptional items. These inferences are robust to a number of modelling specifications and variable definitions. The results collectively demonstrate that IFRS provides management with greater opportunity to misclassify some recurring items, and while external auditors do not mitigate such practices, strong internal governance do.