在財務會計準則公報第一號「一般公認會計原則彙編」發布之前，上市公司可引用的會計方法彈性極大，可源自於美國的教課書或一般公認會計原則；亦可採用一些與會計方法有關的法規之規定，例如稅法、公司法與商業會計法等。因為這些彈性的存在，管理當局在其自身最大利益的考量之下，必然會傾向選擇對其自身最為有利的會計方法來編製財務報表，提供相關的財務資訊。 　　本研究根據財務會計準則公報第一號之相關規定與公報實施之前會計實務之差異為出發點，推論財務會計準則公報第一號的發布會大大地縮小管理當局編製損益表時操縱損益或會計選擇的空間。本研究運用應計項目尺度的變動來量度管理當局會計選擇的彈性或空間的改變。 　　本研究以財務會計準則公報第一號發布前後上市公司財務報表資訊，針對其應計項目的變動情形進行實證分析獲致以下的結果： 　　1.在總應計項目上，以前後二年及三年之平均數為分析對象，發現財務會計準則公報第一號發布前之總應計項目尺度，明顯大於之後之總應計項目尺度。 　　2.在與營業有關應計項目上，以前後二年及三年之平均數為分析對象，發現財務會計準則公報第一號發布前之與營業有關應計項目尺度，明顯大於之後與營業有關應計項目尺度。 　　3.針對流動比率、營運資金、營業週期天數、負債對股東權益比、總資產等五個財務屬性，將樣本區分為二組進行敏感度分析，發現此五個變數對前二項的結果並沒有影響。 　　據以上的實證結果，本研究獲致以下結論： 　　1.財務會計準則公報第一號的發布，確使管理當局利用總應計項目進行損益操縱或會計選擇空間縮小了。 　　2.財務會計準則公報第一號的發布，確使管理當局利用與營業有關應計項目進行損益操縱或會計選擇的空間縮小了。

L'objectif de la thèse a consisté, dans un premier temps, à définir le concept de lissage des résultats : nature du résultat lissé, définition des variables manipulées... puis à proposer une démarche méthodologique visant à identifier les pratiques de lissage. Au préalable, nous avons conduit un examen approfondi de la littérature portant sur ce thème . Par la suite, l'hypothèse de lissage a été testée empiriquement. Ce travail montre que les entreprises françaises cotées en Bourse s'engagent effectivement dans des pratiques de lissage comptable des résultats. Un des apports de cette étude réside dans la mise en évidence de la manipulation par le dirigeant de plusieurs instruments comptables, les «accruals», pour parvenir à un résultat lissé. En effet, les travaux portant sur ce thème n'ont généralement considéré qu'un seul outil comptable pris isolément. Ils n'ont pas étudié l'ensemble des charges et produits comptables calculés pour en déduire que leur niveau était déterminé par des objectifs de lissage du résultat net. La thèse se propose de reprendre les hypothèses de différents courants théoriques (théorie politico-contractuelle, théorie du signal...) et de les valider empiriquement. L'étude que nous avons réalisée montre que les firmes qui lissent leurs résultats n'ont pas une valeur supérieure aux firmes qui ne lissent pas leurs résultats ce qui tend à valider l'hypothèse de rationalité des investisseurs. En revanche, elles semblent présenter un niveau de risque plus faible : ces résultats sont confirmés à la fois par les analyses univariées et multivariées effectuées.

<p>This paper investigates whether the traditional accrual based trading strategy first documented by Sloan (1996) can be refined using fundamental analysis. Specifically, this is done by implementing the composite signal F_SCORE introduced by Piotroski (2000) to identify financially strong or weak firms. We find that by applying both investment models simultaneously, in a model we call P_KOMB, the mean market-adjusted return earned by an investor exploiting the accrual anomaly can be increased by 14.8% annually. This is achieved by taking a long position in strong firms (as defined by the composite signal) in the lowest accrual portfolio, while an offsetting short position is taken in weak firms in the highest accrual portfolio, repeated annually between 1997 and 2007. Consistent with prior studies, positive market-adjusted returns can be attained through assessment of accruals as well as key value drivers found in historical financial data. Moreover, our results indicate that accruals are a more powerful determinant for future return than the fundamentals in the composite signal. The evidence suggests, however, that the accrual anomaly is best exploited in combination with the fundamental signals to maximise returns.</p>

This paper examines the occurrence and outcome of auditor litigation related to financial statement misstatements and the effect of auditor misstatement-based litigation on subsequent auditor behavior. The study is motivated by recent calls to limit auditor legal liability and the need to examine the ability of litigation to deter non-Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) financial reporting. I find that misstatement severity is the primary driver of auditor litigation. Specifically, I find that auditor misstatement-based litigation is more likely when the misstatement is associated with fraud, a regulatory investigation, a larger stock price decline, and/or a greater number of accounting application [i.e., Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)/GAAP) failures. In addition, I find that auditor misstatement-based litigation is more likely to occur when the misstatement is associated with engagement fees that consist of a greater magnitude or a greater proportion of non-audit service fees. Further, I find that misstatement severity and the size of the plaintiffs? claims are the primary drivers of auditor settlements resulting from misstatement-based litigation. Specifically, I find that an auditor settlement resulting from misstatement-based litigation is more likely to occur when the misstatement is associated with fraud, a greater amount of alleged income or equity inflation over the class action time period, and/or a larger alleged percentage drop in share price over the class action time period. With respect to subsequent auditor behavior, I find evidence that auditor litigation results in more conservative subsequent auditor behavior across a litigated auditor?s office-wide client portfolio (that excludes the litigated client). Specifically, in the year following auditor litigation, I find evidence that litigation results in increased auditor constraint of client-reported positive and signed discretionary accruals, as well as longer audit report lags.

This paper investigates whether the traditional accrual based trading strategy first documented by Sloan (1996) can be refined using fundamental analysis. Specifically, this is done by implementing the composite signal F_SCORE introduced by Piotroski (2000) to identify financially strong or weak firms. We find that by applying both investment models simultaneously, in a model we call P_KOMB, the mean market-adjusted return earned by an investor exploiting the accrual anomaly can be increased by 14.8% annually. This is achieved by taking a long position in strong firms (as defined by the composite signal) in the lowest accrual portfolio, while an offsetting short position is taken in weak firms in the highest accrual portfolio, repeated annually between 1997 and 2007. Consistent with prior studies, positive market-adjusted returns can be attained through assessment of accruals as well as key value drivers found in historical financial data. Moreover, our results indicate that accruals are a more powerful determinant for future return than the fundamentals in the composite signal. The evidence suggests, however, that the accrual anomaly is best exploited in combination with the fundamental signals to maximise returns.

This study poses two questions relating to earnings management with the intent to mislead the market for the firms equity and debt. A multiple regression model is used to test two hypoteses through 7 hypothesized determinants of discretionary accruals and 3 control variables. A sample of Swedish real estate firms, including only the years when the firms are both quoted and have disclosed discretionary revaluations of their real estate properties is analyzed. Evidence is found of earnings management with the intent of misleading the stock market but no such evidence is found of earnings management with the intent of misleading the market for corporate debt. The implications of the findings are discussed and the direct and indirect harm of earnings management is specified.

The topic of the effects of audit quality as a consequence of audit firm rotation has been debated for decades in business science. It has also been discussed in the political arena. In April 2013 the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Union voted for a draft law requiring mandatory audit firm rotation for periods of 14 years. Countries such as Sweden might face the possible changes in audit quality that the mandatory audit firm rotation entails. In the light of these events, we studied how the audit quality changes when audit firms rotate. Because we used the Jones Model and the Modified Jones Model, discretionary accruals were our proxy for audit quality. The initial sample consisted of all publicly listed companies which rotated audit firms from 2008 to 2012 in Sweden. We found that there was a statistically significant change in audit quality, in the form of higher discretionary accruals following the rotation. Based on earlier research claiming that higher discretionary accruals signifies lower audit quality, our results suggest that audit firm rotation in Sweden leads to a diminished audit quality. This might be due to the loss of firm-specific knowledge. Our results also indicate that the new auditing firms are more conservative than the auditor firm prior to the rotation, which might be explained by the increased audit risk that is related to the audit of the first-year client.

I denna studie undersöker vi om det förekommer earnings management i resultathöjande syfte bland svenska börsnoterade företag vid tiden av en nyemission. Studier om earnings management vid nyemissioner har gjorts förut av exempelvis av (Shivakumar, 2000). Han kommer fram till att earnings management förekommer tiden precis innan en nyemission. Vi hittar dock ingen studie utförd på svenska företag, vilket vi vill undersöka närmare. Syftet med resultatet av studien är att visa intressenter till företagen att de kan bli vilseledda när de ska investera sitt kapital när earnings management förekommer. / In this study, we examine whether there occurs earnings management in order to increase earnings in Swedish listed companies at the time of an equity offering. Studies on earnings management at the time of an equity offering has been done before, for example by (Shivakumar, 2000). He concludes that earnings management occurs the time just before an equity offering. We find, however, no study conducted in Swedish companies, which we want to investigate further. The purpose of the outcome of the study is to show stakeholders to the companies that they can be misled when to invest their capital when earnings management occurs.

Background and problem: This paper illuminates the problem with temptation of earnings management. However, there are particular disadvantages when companies use this technique because it creates an information asymmetry at the stock market. Problem of earnings management is although not a new phenomenon there issue is the quality of financial reporting. The development is concerning, since recently the performance of financial report has a negative trend, a trend that could harm the financial world. If a company does not provide meaningful information the fundamentals of capital market lose confidence. Purpose: This study has two purposes. The first purpose is to evaluate the ability of various discretionary accruals model at Stockholm Exchange Market. The second purpose is concerning a new model in purpose to understand and reveal earnings management. Boundaries: Data contains only business corporations at large cap and operate at the Stockholm Stock Exchange market. Furthermore is this research based on a time series data from year 2000 – 2009 and cross section data from year 2009. Method: The approach of the methodology are inspired of prior earnings management research, as Healy (1985), DeAngelo (1986) and Jones (1991) which have relied on discretionary accruals to detect earnings management. Conclusion: The result indicates that the Jones modified model is the most powerful models to explain earnings management, which also is consistent with prior studies. The result from the extended Jones modified model indicates no improvement, concerning on revealing earnings management. Further, the results confirm that the null hypothesis can be rejected at 1% significant level but the F-value fall drastically compare to Jones modified model. Suggestions for further research: One suggestion is that more research should be conducted in order to develop accounting policies aimed at limiting the application of earnings management. Alternatively, future research should base on data that measures the phenomenon of earnings management at a deeper level. Yet there are some obstacles to gather desire data and therefore it is not easily accessible. / Bakgrund och problem: Den här studien undersöker resultatstyrning, då det finns både fördelar och nackdelar med att tillämpa denna metod. Problemet med resultatstyrning är dock inte ett nytt fenomen, där tidigare studier visar att kvalitet på den finansiella rapporteringen kan ifrågasättas. Företagens årsredovisning skall speglar en rättvisande bild av verksamheten och således är utvecklingen oroväckande eftersom trovärdigheten för den finansiella rapporteringen har fått en negativ trend, en trend som kan skada den finansiella marknaden. Syfte: Den här studien utvärdera och jämföra hur befintliga disketionära modeller förhåller sig på Stockholmsbörsen. Dessutom utvecklas en förbättringsmodell. En model med förklaringsvariabler som ger ett nytt och/eller annorlunda perspektiv på fenomenet. Avgränsningar: Undersökningen omfattar endast företag som är registrerad på large cap och verkar på Stockholmsbörsen. Data som används i studien är dels en tidsserie data från år 2000-2009 och dels tvärsnittsdata från år 2009. Metod: Den här undersökningen tillämpar liknande metoder som tidigare studier, beträffande resultatstyrning såsom Healy (1985), DeAngelo (1986) och Jones (1991) där de definierar diskretionär avsättning som vinstmanipulering. Slutsats: Resultaten visar att Jones modified model förklara och upptäcker resultatstyrning på ett bättre sätt än de andra modellerna. Denna slutsats överrensstämmer med tidigare studier. Resultaten från den utökande Jones modified model visar inte några förbättringar. Dock förkastar den noll hypotesen på 1 % signifikansnivå men F-värdet sjunker kraftigt jämförelsevis mot Jones modified model. Förslag till vidare forskning: Ett förslag är att framtida forskning bör bedrivas i syfte för att utveckla redovisningsprinciper som begränsar resultatstyrning. Alternativt förslag är att samla in data som mäter resultatstyrning på en djupare nivå, dock är det problematiskt med dagens

<p>I develop an empirical model that estimates a firm-specific accrual noise ratio (ANR), an operational and statistically grounded measure of accrual reliability, and test the measure's construct validity. The model allows accrual reliability to vary across firms, which is particularly important because many reliability determinants vary in cross-section. Unlike metrics that measure relative perceived reliability, ANR measures accrual reliability independent of the perceptions of investors, creditors or auditors. I find that ANR relates in expected ways with multiple proxies of accounting reliability, that ANR's relation with the proxies of other accounting constructs is consistent with theory, and that ANR's sensitivity to percentage changes of accrual components is consistent with a subjective ordinal ranking of the components' reliability from prior literature.</p> / Dissertation