本研究針對1993年到2007年在美國三大證券交易所，紐約證券交易所、那斯達克證券交易所與美國證券交易所之中具有更名事件的上市公司進行盈餘管理之研究，並從LexisNexis資料庫中，取得公司變更名稱的原因，將更名原因作為研究之標的，以瞭解企業盈餘管理是否會因更名原因不同而有所不同。當面對公司分別以「組織重整」、「變更營運項目」與「大幅度更名」等三種原因而更名時，是否出現不同的盈餘管理之變化幅度，藉此觀察出不同更名原因與盈餘管理之關聯性。 本研究是以Kothari, Leone and Wasley（2005）估計出的裁決性應計數，取其絕對值作為衡量盈餘管理程度的代理變數，實證結果發現，當公司宣告改變其公司名稱，相較於同產業其他公司的財務報表，當年度對於盈餘管理的影響效果並不顯著。以更名原因將樣本公司進行分類後，發現由於變更營運項目而更名的公司或是大幅度更名的公司，相較於其他同產業的對照公司，亦未發現其當年度盈餘管理之幅度有顯著差異，僅有因為組織重整而進行更名的公司，其當年度盈餘管理之幅度會高於其他同產業的對照公司。這樣的結論究其原因，可能是企業更名或許對於其他方面將產生影響，但與盈餘管理並無顯著關聯。

90年代美國證券市場興起了一連串的正名運動，更名公司家數從約兩百家增加到四百家，成長將近兩倍，此股熱潮直至西元2002年才逐漸退燒。如果公司名稱非僅是區別代號，而有更深的意涵存在時，使用新名稱可以重新呈現企業本身想要對外宣告的訊息，不同更名動機也有可能造成未來經營結果上的不同。 本研究即以美國證券市場1999年到2002年底公開發行公司為樣本，先就未分群樣本進行Paired T Test及超額報酬率計算，實證結果發現更名前後稅前營運現金流量報酬率、資產報酬率及Tobin’s Q平均數具顯著差異，而其超額報酬為顯著正數，意即更名後樣本公司績效改善，這樣的情況主要反應在更名前後四年到更名前後三年之間；以分群樣本進行Paired T Test及超額報酬率計算，實證結果則發現因組織重整更名的樣本公司更名前後稅前營運現金流量報酬率、資產報酬率及Tobin’s Q的平均數具顯著差異，且其超額報酬為顯著正數，意即更名後此類樣本公司績效改善。其他更名原因對更名前後會計績效未能產生顯著影響。 / From the nineties the number of corporate name change was all the rage and growing twice. There is a trend of corporate name change in American security market and that came to an end in 2002. Corporate name change is not only a signal but also has deeply meanings. New corporate name represents new image of companies and different reasons for name change make contribution to different operating results. We examine post-name change performance for U.S corporations between 1999 and 2002. Name change firms show significant improvements relative to their industries, leading to higher operating cash flow returns, return on asset and Tobin’s Q. These arise from three years to two years before and after name change effective day. This performance improvement is particularly strong for firms with restructuring name change reason and weak for firms with other name change reason.

本文研究自1997年至2007年，dotcom公司更名之長期與短期宣告效應，樣本包括名稱增加dotcom或剔除dotcom的兩類公司。過去文獻指出dotcom公司更名在-30天到+30天期具有顯著為正的累積超額報酬。與以往文獻不同，我們關心dotcom公司更名帶來的正報酬是否能持續，抑或宣告後的效果終將轉為負報酬，減損股東財富。實證結果顯示，雖然在事件日出現顯著3.14%的正累積超額報酬，但120天與360天事件窗口累積超額報酬均為顯著負值，分別為-55.52%與 -156.09%，所以dotcom公司更名的妝飾效果(cosmetic effect)為暫時的現象。故在長期，投資人若在網路熱潮時期買進新增dotcom於其名稱的公司的股票，損失很可能會隨著時間而擴大。此外，我們也發現更名公司的基本價值(fundamental values)在更名的前後兩年並無顯著差異，因此投資人對於股價的反應僅基於情緒(sentiment)，而非出於他們對基本價值的觀察。另一方面，研究樣本公司在 I/B/E/S資料庫中的一致性分析師盈餘預測，發現分析師對此類更名公司的下一季盈餘預測往下修正，但此下修應屬系統性現象。在預測誤差方面，分別探討網路熱潮期與冷卻期的預測誤差後，發現後者為-$0.2650，具有10%顯著水準。故可推論此時期分析師所掌握的資訊較為不足，或是來自世界各地的分析師意見不一致。此外，由於分析師盈餘預測可代表投資人對市場的預期，故在網路冷卻期，投資人對更名公司股價的反應是不理性的。 / This paper investigates long-term versus short-term effects of dotcom corporate name changes from 1997 to 2007. The sample contains a combination of name change events on which firms add dotcom to, or remove dotcom from their names. We attempt to examine whether announcement effects of dotcom name changes last long, or are prevailed by post-announcement negative drift eventually. On the announcement date, we find firms earn significant abnormal returns on the order of 3.14%. However, firms yield negative CARs over the 120- and 360- day window, which are -55.52% and -156.09%, respectively. These results suggest that firms can create shareholder’s wealth by dotcom name changes, but cosmetic effects of their name changes are simply transitory. Due to this finding, we suggest investors who experienced loss on stocks of dotcom addition firms should aware that their loss continues growing as time goes by. Next, the fact that fundamental value of our sample firms does not change significantly indicates that investors are affected by market sentiment, rather than driven by changes of fundamental value. Furthermore, we examine consensus analysts’ EPS forecasts from I/B/E/S database. EPS forecasts are used as proxies of investors’ expectations. We find analysts revise downwards in EPS forecast changes of name change firms. However, there is no significant difference between the sample and the benchmark group, in terms of forecast changes. Accordingly, we conclude that analysts systematically revise their estimates downward. Moreover, forecast errors in the Internet-cold period is $-0.2650 and significant at 10 percent level. We infer that analysts do have sufficient information or consensus. Thus, investors are irrational in response to dotcom name change announcements in the Internet-cold period.

本研究針對1998年到2007年在美國三大證券交易所，紐約證券交易所、那斯達克證券交易所與美國證券交易所之中具有更名事件的上市公司進行股價變化的研究，並且試圖將公司更名前後的股價變化程度與國際法人券商評估系統( I/B/E/S)分析師對於更名公司每股盈餘預測值的變化進行連結。 本研究從LexisNexis Academic資料庫的Wall Street Journal發布公司更名事件之中篩選適用樣本共291筆，並採取事件研究法針對股價前後變化進行研究，並將291筆樣本資料經過三原則的區分產生三組成對樣本。經本研究的實證發現：在指定的7個事件期間之內，僅只有公司更名前的15天到前1天股價累積平均超額報酬平均值不具有任何顯著性；公司更名生效日當天，在顯著水準＝10%之下具有正向顯著性；在其他的事件期間之內具有負向顯著性。在本研究建構的三組成對樣本的實證結果之中，僅有大幅度更名公司在公司更名生效日當天的股價累積平均超額報酬平均值要顯著的高過小幅度更名公司，顯著水準＝10%。 另外，從I/B/E/S分析師每股盈餘預測變化值得方向來看，I/B/E/S分析師每股盈餘預測值沒有顯著性差異，進而推論更名公司於更名後的股價下跌的原因應是不能歸咎於I/B/E/S分析師對於每股盈餘預測值的變動狀況。

本文以事件研究法，針對台灣自1998年至2008年，曾經變更公司名稱之上市、櫃公司為樣本，探討經理人盈餘管理行為對更名公司股價之影響。實證結果顯示在公司更名前後，經理人有從事盈餘管理行為之現象，且從事積極型盈餘管理者，其股價長期累積超額報酬表現最差。此外，內部人對公司更名的看法可作為市場投資人的參考指標，惟分析師的看法卻係一反向指標。本文進一步發現經理人從事積極型盈餘管理行為時，分析師傾向看好更名公司之未來表現，表示分析師過於依賴財務報表資訊，而容易作出錯誤的投資決策；而內部人較能透析公司更名及經理人盈餘管理之行為，並利用經理人從事積極型盈餘管理行為時出脫更名公司持股，而避開了更名公司股價下跌的風險。 / In this paper, we use event-study method to examine the effect of earnings management on the stock performance of firms that changed their names. Our sample consists of firms listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange and Gretai Securities Markets from 1998 to 2008. The empirical results show managers tend to dress up financial statements before corporate name change events. Our results show that performance of firms in the most “aggressive” quartile of earnings management is the poorest. In addition, we find that trading activities of insiders provide more information than analyst recommendations to future stock performance of name change companies. We also find that analysts tend to increase EPS forecast for name change firms with aggressive earnings management. This implies that analysts rely more on financial statement information to provide their earnings forecasts. On the other hand, insiders have the ability to see through the cosmetic earnings management of name change firms. Furthermore, we find that insiders tend to sell stocks of firms engaged in aggressive earnings management to avoid the risk of declining stock prices of name change firms.

This paper investigates the impact of corporate name changes on both of stock performance and analysts’ reaction with the employment of event study. We first examine a sample of 387 listed Australian companies that renamed themselves during the time frame from January 2001 to December 2007. Separate analyses are conducted under three criterion dividing the overall sample into (1)”major” versus “minor” name changes; (2)name changes in “mining-related” versus “non-mining-related” sectors; and (3)name changes “with” versus “without” reasons mentioned. Generally, we find some evidence of significant negative association between corporate name changes and cumulative abnormal return. The result shows, unlike all other subgroups, name changes “with” reasons mentioned generate insignificant positive valuation effects. Separate analyses give two important implications. First, negative cumulative abnormal return in all subgroups is discovered except in the subgroup of name changes “with” reasons mentioned. The difference of abnormal returns within subgroups, in addition, appears to be significant only between name change with reasons mentioned or not. Our findings suggest that analysts react reluctantly to corporate name changes by showing tiny downward forecast revisions, which are far from significant. Instead, it seems analysts make forecast revisions based more on accounting data, which shows insignificant variations between pre- and post-event, than on signals of corporate name changes.

企業名稱是企業重要的無形資產，但是在1925年至2000年間名列美國證券市場資料庫的企業中，卻有超過三成的比率在公開上市後曾經更改過企業的名稱，因此本研究基於管理者及投資者的門檻心理，使用實證模型，探討企業更名後，管理者為了吸引投資者的注意，是否較可能去迎合各個盈餘門檻。 本研究以1994~2006年在美國三大證券交易所交易之具更名事件的企業為觀察樣本（實驗組），並依企業規模大小、產業及年度配對出非更名企業（對照組），比較更名企業與非更名企業在門檻心理之下的盈餘管理程度差異，探討企業更名後擊敗或達到盈餘門檻的機率是否大於更名前，研究方法兼採獨立樣本t檢定、綜和橫斷面分配法、分群樣本之羅吉斯多變量迴歸及差異中之差異法。實證結果發現獨立樣本t檢定下，企業更名後會迎合前期盈餘門檻；在綜和橫斷面分配法下則沒有發現迎合盈餘門檻的跡象；多變量迴歸及差異中之差異法則發現企業更名後會迎合前期盈餘門檻及分析師預測盈餘門檻。 / The name is an important intangible asset of the corporate. But over the 1924~2000 period, on the CRSP tapes, over 30% corporates had changed corporate names. Based on the earning thresholds behavior, I examine whether executives would try to meet or beat different earning thresholds in order to attract investors’ attention. In order to investigate the effects of name change, I use the corporates which had changed names over the 1994~2006 period to be the target groups, and then pair comparison groups by the same firm size, industry, and name-changed year. The results indicate that corporates would try to sustain recent performance when using t test. On the other hand, there is no evidence for executives to exceed thresholds under pooled cross-sectional distribution approach. Finally, corporates would sustain recent performance and meet analyst’s expectations when using multivavariate logit regression and difference - in - difference methods.

公司名稱不僅僅是識別的代號，還具有深切的意義存在，且更名還需花費很大的成本、面對原有客戶流失的風險，故企業更名背後的真正涵義是值得深入探討的。 本研究旨在探討在CRSP有更名紀錄之美國上市公司，是否會透過實質交易或裁決性應計之方式進行盈餘管理。除了比較更名前後盈餘管理程度之差異，同時也以更名公司為實驗組，並選取未更名公司作為對照組，檢測在更名後，更名公司與未更名公司之盈餘管理程度是否有顯著差異。另外，為額外分析不同類型的更名原因，是否會採取不同的盈餘管理方式，依不同標準選取以下二類之更名公司：第一類為因業務範圍改變而更名；第二類為無原因之更名。 實證結果發現，更名公司在更名後，比起更名前及未更名公司，可能有以操縱銷貨來壓低現金流量、透過過量生產以降低銷貨成本的實質交易行為，進行裁決性應計項目之盈餘管理也較為嚴重。額外分析不同原因的更名公司之實證結果則發現，無原因之更名公司在更名後，進行實質交易之情形較業務範圍改變之更名公司嚴重。 / This study investigates the impact of corporate name changes on earnings management. We examine earnings management behavior in the period leading to the passage of name change effective year and in the period following the passage of name change effective year, focusing on both real earnings management and accrual-based earnings management. To make further investigations, we conduct analysis of firms that change name because of broader or narrower focus the firm’s scope of business versus firms that change name with no reason. The empirical results show that name change firms use more accruals and real earnings management after name changes when compared to similar firms. Furthermore, we also find that firms change name with no reason tend to adopt real earnings management when compared to the firms that change name because of broader or narrow focus.