...The Relevance of the Value Relevance Literature For Financial Accounting Standard Setting: Another View Mary E. Barth Graduate School of Business Stanford University William H. Beaver Graduate School of Business Stanford University Wayne R. Landsman Kenan-Flagler Business School University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill January 2001 We thank Dan Collins, Brian Rountree, participants at the 2000 Journal of Accounting & Economics conference, and the editors, S. P. Kothari, Tom Lys, and Jerry Zimmerman, for helpful comments and suggestions. We appreciate funding from the Financial Research Initiative, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and Center for Finance and Accounting Research at UNC-Chapel Hill, Stanford GSB Faculty Trust, and the Bank of America Research Fellowship. Corresponding author: William H. Beaver, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, 518 Memorial Way, Stanford, CA 94305-5015, (650) 723-4409, fbeaver@leland.stanford.edu The Relevance of the Value Relevance Literature For Financial Accounting Standard Setting: Another View Abstract This paper explains that value relevance research assesses how well accounting amounts reflect information used by equity investors, and provides insights into questions of interest to standard setters. A primary focus of financial statements is equity investment. Other uses of financial statement information, such as contracting, do not diminish the importance of value relevance research...
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...regulators and accounting standards setters trying to improve the quality of financial statements in order to increase the transparency level in financial reporting. (Vishnani S., Shah B.K., 2008). Financial reporting by companies is effected via the preparation and publication of financial statements. These financial statements are required to exhibit certain degree of quality in terms of their information contents. Mines & Wahlen (2006) and Belkaoui (2002) opined that accounting information contained in the financial reports should possess certain qualities as relevance, verifiability, understandability, neutrality, timeliness, comparability, and completeness. When the financial reports disclose quality accounting information, according to Benston (2007), the decision of the users (investors, management, government, employees, creditors, analysts) of the reports could as well be qualitative and informed. While there have been a number of studies on this topic in developed countries (Collins, Maydew and Weiss, 1997; Lev and Zarowin, 1999; Francis and Schipper, 1999; Beisland, Hamberg and Navak, 2010), one is not aware of any expansive study that has explored the subject of value relevance of accounting information in Nigeria. It has not been comprehensively researched primarily because of problems with data availability (Negah 2008). Literature on capital research in accounting in Nigeria is so scanty and insufficient that it is difficult to determine value relevance of accounting...
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...A critical review of the trade-offs between the concepts of relevance and reliability in financial reporting Theme: Financial Accounting Classification: M41 Author: Prof D Coetsee Affiliation: Department of Accountancy, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Contact address: Department of Accountancy R-Ring 607 University of Johannesburg PO Box 524 Auckland Park Johannesburg South-Africa 2006 Telephone: +27-11-559-3047 Fax: +27-11-559-2777 E-Mail dcoetsee@uj.ac.za A critical review of the trade-offs between the concepts of relevance and reliability in financial reporting |Abstract | |In an information orientated system of financial reporting the move from historical cost to fair value | |accounting has created numerous debates surrounding the trade-offs of the concepts of relevance and | |reliability. This article contributes to the debate by critically reviewing the current developments of | |these trade-offs to determine whether current financial reporting guidelines are appropriate to deal with | |the difficulties and uncertainties of financial reporting. The article found that the proposals of the joint| |framework discussion paper goes a long way in resolving the issues around the trade-offs of relevance and | |reliability. Changing the concept of reliability to faithful representation...
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...http://www.eurojournals.com/EJEFAS.htm Relevance of Income Levels and Income Components for Determining Firm Value Hashem Valipour Assistant Professor, Accounting Department, Firouzabad Branch Islamic Azad University, Firouzabad, Iran Tel: 00989173086986 E-mail: h.valipour@gmail.com Alireza Shahabi Accounting Department, Marvdasht Branch Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran E-mail: arshahaby@gmail.com Javad Moradi Assistant Professor, Accounting Department, Marvdasht Branch Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran E-mail: jmoradi2005@yahoo.com Abstract Income levels and its components which are presented in income statement, are the first criteria for assessing financial operation, users are quite interested in this criterion. So investigating the effect of this attraction on firm value is important. The present paper studies this matter. Statistical population is listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). Based on considered preconditions 49 companies selected over 1999 to 2008 and classified into three groups based on their size, small, medium and large. Regression has used for analyzing data. Findings indicate that income level and components prepare relevant information for users. Other findings show that considering firm size has negligible impact on value relevance of income level and components. Keywords: Income Statement, Relevant, Firm Value, Firm Size, Income Component. 1. Introduction Market value relevance means that there is a statistical association...
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...Qualitative characteristics in accounting disclosures: a desirability trade-off Malcolm Smith Associate Professor of Accounting, School of Economics and Commerce, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia A number of studies in the USA, UK, Australia and Canada have addressed the evaluation of the usefulness of accounting information and sought to identify criteria for assessing the quality and utility of financial reports (e.g. Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (1975), Financial Accounting Standards Board (1980), Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland (1988), Accounting Standards Board (1991)). The qualitative characteristics viewed as desirable for the fulfilment of the fundamental objective of communicating decision-useful measurement recognize that all of these characteristics are not simultaneously achievable and that some trade-off is necessary. Examines the nature of this conflict of objectives and attempts to quantify the extent of the conflict for different user groups. Introduction Since the late 1960s research efforts regarding a conceptual framework have been commissioned in response to mounting public and professional pressure with regard to the nature of corporate reporting and deficiencies in the accounting standard setting process. Peasnell[1, p. 254] with respect to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) conceptual framework observes: “it perceives a need to show that its heart and mind are in the right place: to demonstrate...
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...ATTACHMENT E THE FASB’S CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: RELEVANCE AND RELIABILITY Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council September 2004 INTRODUCTION At the March and June 2004 FASAC meetings, FASAC members discussed aspects of the Board’s conceptual framework, including the need to update, refine, and complete it, and issues relating to the liabilities definition. At today’s meeting, FASAC members will consider other issues relating to the conceptual framework, specifically issues related to the qualitative characteristics of relevance and reliability. Some FASAC members and other FASB constituents have questioned certain of the trade-offs between relevance and reliability that the Board has made in setting accounting standards. Specifically, they have questioned the appropriateness of the trade-offs that the Board has made in requiring financial statement measures that reflect fair values rather than historical costs. Their underlying presumption seems to be that historical costs, while perhaps not as relevant as fair values, are clearly more reliable. In those instances, they assert that the trade-off between relevance and reliability should favor historical costs rather than fair values. Some who question the Board’s trade-offs seemingly believe that reliability should be the dominant characteristic of financial statement measures. Others appear to interpret reliability as having a meaning that differs in at least certain respects from how that term is defined in the conceptual...
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...Statement of Accounting Concepts SAC 3 (8/90) Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Information Prepared by the Public Sector Accounting Standards Board of the Australian Accounting Research Foundation and the Accounting Standards Review Board Issued by the Australian Accounting Research Foundation on behalf of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants and The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and by the Accounting Standards Review Board The Australian Accounting Research Foundation was established by the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants and The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and undertakes a range of technical and research activities on behalf of the accounting profession as a whole. A major responsibility of the Foundation is the development of Statements of Accounting Concepts and Accounting Standards. The Public Sector Accounting Standards Board is one of the boards of the Foundation. The Accounting Standards Review Board was established by the Ministerial Council for Companies and Securities. It has responsibility for the development of Approved Accounting Standards for application by companies, and for the development of Statements of Accounting Concepts and Australian Accounting Standards. Copies of this Statement are available for purchase from the offices of the Australian Accounting Research Foundation, 211 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield, Victoria 3162, Australia...
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...financial reporting in terms of the underlying fundamental qualitative characteristics (i.e. relevance and faithful representation) and the enhancing qualitative characteristics (i.e. understandability, comparability, verifiability and timeliness) as defined in ‘An improved Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting’ of the FASB and the IASB (2008). The operationalization of these qualitative characteristics results in a 21-item index. Using 231 annual reports from companies listed at US, UK, and Dutch stock markets in 2005 and 2007, we test our compound measurement tool on internal validity, inter-rater reliability (Krippendorff’s alpha) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha). Our findings suggest that the measurement tool used in this study is a valid and reliable approach to assess the quality of financial reports. The measurement tool contributes to improving the quality assessment of financial reporting information, fulfilling a request from both the FASB and the IASB (2008) to make the qualitative characteristics operationally measurable. Direct correspondence to Geert Braam, Department of Economics, Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9108, 6500 HK Nijmegen, The Netherlands. E-mail: g.braam@fm.ru.nl. Phone # +31(0)24-3613086. 2 1. Introduction The primary objective of financial reporting is to provide high-quality financial reporting information concerning economic...
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...Relevance: Information should be relevant to the decision making needs of the user. Information is relevant if it helps users of the financial statements in predicting future trends of the business (Predictive Value) or confirming or correcting any past predictions they have made (Confirmatory Value). Same piece of information which assists users in confirming their past predictions may also be helpful in forming future forecasts. Example: A company discloses an increase in Earnings Per Share (EPS) from $5 to $6 since the last reporting period. The information is relevant to investors as it may assist them in confirming their past predictions regarding the profitability of the company and will also help them in forecasting future trend in the earnings of the company. Relevance is affected by the materiality of information contained in the financial statements because only material information influences the economic decisions of its users. Example: A default by a customer who owes $1000 to a company having net assets of worth $10 million is not relevant to the decision making needs of users of the financial statements. However, if the amount of default is, say, $2 million, the information becomes relevant to the users as it may affect their view regarding the financial performance and position of the company. - See more at: http://accounting-simplified.com/financial-accounting/accounting-concepts-and-principles/accounting-relevance.html#sthash.og5apWaw.dpuf Relevance ...
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...……P.4-5 2. Part B...........................................................................................P.6-14 3. Part C………………………………………………………………………………………….P.15 4. Reference list………………………………………………………………………………P.16 5. Part A Overview of the contents of the Framework The starting point of the Framework is to address the fundamental question of why financial statements are actually prepared. The basic answer to that is they are prepared to provide financial information about the reporting entity that is useful to existing and potential investors, lenders, and other creditors in making decisions about providing resources to the entity. In turn this means the Framework has to consider what is meant by useful information. In essence for information to be useful it must be considered both relevant, ie capable of making a difference in the decisions made by users and be faithful in its presentation, ie be complete, neutral and free from error. The usefulness of information is enhanced if it is also comparable, verifiable, timely, and understandable. The Framework identifies three elements relating to the statement of financial position, being assets, liabilities and equity, and two relating to the income statement, being income and expenses. The definitions and recognition criteria of these elements are very important and these are considered in detail below. An asset is defined as a resource controlled by the entity as a result of past events and from...
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...function of an accounting system is to: a. keep employees from embezzling funds. b. prepare accounting records. c. provide information from decision-making. d. Collect and record data. 2. The phases of an accounting system are: e. setting objectives, planning, analysis. f. identification, recording, analysis, reporting. g. evaluation, processing, output. h. none of the above. 3. The planning process for a business involves: i. setting objectives, long-term plans, and short-term plans. j. objectives and short-term plans. k. objectives and detailed budgets. l. long-term objectives, and long-term plans. 4. Control is best defined as: m. making the employees work harder. n. making the directors perform according to plan. o. giving orders. p. making events conform to plan. 5. Which of the following groups are users of financial information? q. Managers r. Lenders s. Owners t. All of the above 6. Four key qualitative characteristics of accounting information are: u. Understandability, identification, analysis and relevance. v. Control, planning, analysis and comparability. w. Relevance, reliability, comparability and understandability. x. Identification, analysis, reliability and timeliness 7. The best explanation of relevance is ensuring: y. That information is expressed as...
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...Constraints of Decision-useful Financial Reporting Information.’ released by Australian Accounting Standard Board (AASB). Four major differences have been identified between the AASB’s current Australian Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements and ED 164 are identified. In Current Australian Framework financial report are prepared from a proprietary perspective whereas in ED 164 they are prepared from an entity perspective. The boards decided to identify present and potential capital providers as primary users for General Purpose Financial Report (GPFR) whereas the Australian Framework lists the users of GPFR as investors, lenders, suppliers and other trade creditors, employees, customers, governments and their agencies and the public. Besides, The boards have also decided on a broad enough objective that encompass all the decisions that equity investors, lenders and other creditors make in their capacity as capital providers, including resource allocation decisions as well as protection and enhancement of their investments whereas the other one focus on provide information to wide range of users in making economic decisions. In addition, the ED 164 has categorised the qualitative characteristics – fundamental, enhancing and pervasive constraints – while the Conceptual Framework merely lists the qualitative characteristics. Narrowly regarding the issues in chapter 2, we agree with ED164 that relevance and faithful representation as fundamental qualitative...
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...The European Accounting Review 2002, 11:1, 119–151 Accounting and capital markets: a survey of the European evidence Pascal Dumontier ` Pierre Mendes-France University, Grenoble Bernard Raffournier University of Geneva ABSTRACT The relationship between accounting information and capital markets has been the subject of numerous studies, especially in the US. The purpose of this article is to examine the corresponding evidence in Europe. This review classi es the European literature into three groups: studies of the market reaction to newly released accounting information; studies of the long-term association between stock returns and accounting numbers; studies devoted to the use of accounting data by investors and to the impact of market pressure on accounting choices. The paper reviews and summarizes the main results related to each of these topics. It also addresses some methodological issues and provides suggestions for future research. 1. INTRODUCTION Since the pioneering work of Ball and Brown (1968), the relationship between accounting information and capital markets has attracted considerable attention, to the point that it is probably one of the most popular issues in the accounting literature. The interest for this subject is legitimate, given the generally accepted statement that accounting gures are aimed at providing investors with relevant information for their investment decisions. Even if accounting data are used in various contexts such as the contracting...
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...Understand the regulatory framework for financial reporting User needs: Accounting standards Board (ASBs) Statement of Principles INTRODUCTION This section of the unit discusses the qualitative characteristics of the financial statements and how it relates to the content and presentation of a financial statement. The second part of this paper sets out to assess the difficulty preparing a useful set of financial statements that exhibits the qualitative characteristics mentioned in the first part. Defining a financial report: A financial report is a written report which quantitatively describes the financial health of a company. Financial statements are usually compiled on a quarterly and annually basis . According to the Accounting Standards Board (1999), the objective of financial statement is to provide information on the reporting entity's financial position and performance that is useful to a wide range of users to assess the management and for decision making. Composition of a complete financial statement As per IAS 1 (international Accounting Standard), a complete set of financial statement comprises of: * A statement of financial position (balance sheet) * A statement of comprehensive income for the period (income statement) * A statement of cash flow * A statement of changes in equity * Notes comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information. * A statement of financial position (Balance sheet) as at the beginning...
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...Journal of Accounting and Economics 55 (2013) 66–90 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Journal of Accounting and Economics journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jae Towards an understanding of the role of standard setters in standard setting$ Abigail Allen, Karthik Ramanna n Harvard Business School, USA a r t i c l e in f o abstract Article history: Received 15 September 2010 Received in revised form 24 May 2012 Accepted 25 May 2012 Available online 7 June 2012 We investigate the effect of standard setters in standard setting. We examine how certain professional and political characteristics of FASB members and SEC commissioners predict the accounting ‘‘reliability’’ and ‘‘relevance’’ of proposed standards. Notably, we find FASB members with backgrounds in financial services are more likely to propose standards that decrease ‘‘reliability’’ and increase ‘‘relevance,’’ partly due to their tendency to propose fair-value methods. We find opposite results for FASB members affiliated with the Democratic Party, although only when excluding financialservices background as an independent variable. Jackknife procedures show that results are robust to omitting any individual standard setter. & 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: D72 D78 G18 K22 L51 M41 Keywords: Accounting FASB Politics Relevance Reliability Standard setting 1. Introduction As the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) closes...
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