<p>Research Question/ Purpose: Due to the increasing importance of international financial markets the significance of IAS 39 rises enormously. IAS39 deals with the measurement and recognition of financial instruments. One major aim is the valuation of the instrument at fair value. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is the examination of the major characteristics of the Fair Value Option (FVO) of IAS 39 and its affect on financial institutions.</p><p>Design/Methodology/Approach: An interpretative research philosophy is chosen in order to write the thesis. Therefore, the annual business reports of four major European banking institutions Dresdner Bank AG (Germany), Royal Bank of Scotland Group (Scotland), Nordea (Scandinavia), Crédit Mutuel (France) are examined. The gathered information does not have a statistical value, meaning that it cannot be used in order to develop a general conclusion</p><p>Findings: The analysis of the empirical findings and the amended FVO exhibits that banks tends to implement the FVO and FVA instead of applying Historical Cost Accounting. In addition a coherency is drawn between the major results of the empirical study, namely the importance of Fair Value Accounting (FVA).</p><p>Conclusion: The conclusion can be drawn, that the FVO presents a milestone towards FVA but that the development is still in process. The FVO supports the reduction of accounting mismatches and facilitates the valuation of embedded derivatives. Furthermore, FVA increases the comparability and transparency of financial statements.</p><p>Research Limitations: Due to the limitation of time, only a small number of banking institutions can be analyzed. A second limitation is that the banks have to adapt IAS and IFRS as their accounting standards.</p><p>Originality /Value: .The aim of this paper is not to generalize but to prove with the support of a small sample the effects of the FVO on the four selected financial institutions. On the basis of the literature review and the practical analysis the conclusion can be drawn, that in case of the analyzed institutions the FVO presents a step towards FVA.</p>

The financial crisis of 2007-2008 sparked a debate over the usefulness of fair value accounting. Many banks and other financial institutions claim that the strict rules of fair value accounting exacerbated the financial crisis. To fix the problem of fair value accounting, FASB issued FAS 157-4, FAS 115-2 and FAS 124-2. These Staff Positions relax the rules for fair value accounting by providing entities more flexibility in fair value estimates and OTTI reporting. This study explores the merits of these changes to fair value accounting and analyzes whether they will improve banks’ financial reporting. First, I examine the role of fair value accounting in the recent financial crisis. Next, I evaluate whether these Staff Positions result in more useful information to investors and other decision makers. I find evidence that suggests that fair value accounting had a limited role in the financial crisis and did not contribute to banks’ financial burdens. These findings bring into question the purpose and necessity of FAS 157-4, FAS 115-2 and FAS 124-2. Furthermore, my analysis shows that these Staff Positions do not enhance the usefulness of information to decision makers. In fact, they appear to weaken the usefulness of financial information.

Research Question/ Purpose: Due to the increasing importance of international financial markets the significance of IAS 39 rises enormously. IAS39 deals with the measurement and recognition of financial instruments. One major aim is the valuation of the instrument at fair value. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is the examination of the major characteristics of the Fair Value Option (FVO) of IAS 39 and its affect on financial institutions. Design/Methodology/Approach: An interpretative research philosophy is chosen in order to write the thesis. Therefore, the annual business reports of four major European banking institutions Dresdner Bank AG (Germany), Royal Bank of Scotland Group (Scotland), Nordea (Scandinavia), Crédit Mutuel (France) are examined. The gathered information does not have a statistical value, meaning that it cannot be used in order to develop a general conclusion Findings: The analysis of the empirical findings and the amended FVO exhibits that banks tends to implement the FVO and FVA instead of applying Historical Cost Accounting. In addition a coherency is drawn between the major results of the empirical study, namely the importance of Fair Value Accounting (FVA). Conclusion: The conclusion can be drawn, that the FVO presents a milestone towards FVA but that the development is still in process. The FVO supports the reduction of accounting mismatches and facilitates the valuation of embedded derivatives. Furthermore, FVA increases the comparability and transparency of financial statements. Research Limitations: Due to the limitation of time, only a small number of banking institutions can be analyzed. A second limitation is that the banks have to adapt IAS and IFRS as their accounting standards. Originality /Value: .The aim of this paper is not to generalize but to prove with the support of a small sample the effects of the FVO on the four selected financial institutions. On the basis of the literature review and the practical analysis the conclusion can be drawn, that in case of the analyzed institutions the FVO presents a step towards FVA.

The game of football has transformed from just being a game into a huge economic market attracting investors from all over the world. As clubs spend more and more money on player acquisitions, player registrations (considered intangible assets) now represent a significant part of the total assets of major European football clubs. Due to this, treatment of player registrations has become a significant accounting issue. The purpose is to analyze and compare from the perspective of an investor, how a sample of European football clubs account and disclose values of player registrations. The purpose aim to answer the questions how and what kind of information each club discloses on their financial statements. Also, are current accounting procedures and disclosure harmonized, and do they present a true and fair view of top European clubs financial status. A descriptive case study was the most appropriate as it aims to answer the questions “how” and “why”. A sample selection filter was set in the beginning of the process together with the research questions. The final sample was set to be: Arsenal FC, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus FC and FC Porto. The purpose of the selection filter was to get a study both fair on economical as well as competitive sports level. Primary data consist of information from annual financial reports, and in order to enhance validity, interviews with professionals have been conducted and used.  Findings show similarities as well as differences in disclosure and treatment of football player registrations. All clubs meet the minimum requirements from IAS 38 and UEFA. However, how and what kind of information each clubs disclose differ substantially and due to lack of valuation models and the possibility to capitalize home-grown players and free agents, the value of player registrations is not presented in a true and fair view.

With the recent financial crisis that have happened and the global move towards fair value accounting financial institutions such as the IASB saw fit to increase the mandatory disclosure requirements by implementing IFRS 13 to regulated fair value accounting in IFRS. The implementation of IFRS 13 means that many of the old standards in regards to fair value will be replaced, for example investment properties reporting under IAS 40. Furthermore IFRS 13 redefines the classification system for assets and liabilities.   The purpose of this study is to investigate whether these changes have any influence on investment decisions. This has been done by adopting a qualitative abductive descripto-explanatory approach to our research, and our empirical data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with academics and audit professionals.   The analysis of our empirical data suggests that the implementation of IFRS 13 and its increased disclosure requirements have been useful to investor’s decision making. IFRS 13 accomplishes this through its increased clarity in financial reporting. However investors should be mindful whilst investing in companies utilizing Level 3 valuation techniques because they use estimates of unobservable inputs and because such estimates are hard to control they are prone to bias, error, and manipulation.

[Truncated abstract] Following the introduction in 1999 of Australian Accounting Standard Board (AASB) 1041: 'Revaluations of Non-Current Assets' (Australian Accounting Standards Board 2001a), this study set out to examine the impact of the introduction of this new standard on: the number (percentage) of Australian firms revaluing various classes and submajor classes of non-current assets; and the value relevance and reliability of the information provided with respect to various sub-major classes of non-current assets. The study also set out to examine the apparent motivations for Australian companies electing the fair value (FV) basis, rather than the historic cost (HC) basis, for reporting property, plant and equipment (PP&E). The sample analysed in this study consisted of Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed firms that were included in each of the Connect4, Aspect Financial and Core Research Data (CRD) databases. After excluding firms not covered by all three databases and firms where there were missing data problems, 398 and 424 firms were left in the 1999 and 2002 samples, respectively. Of the 398 and 424 firms, there were 194 firms that were common to both sample periods and a separate analysis of these 'common' firms allowed a 'like-for-like' comparison to be made. The financial year ending June 30, 1999 provides data under the previous standard AASB 1010 (Australian Accounting Standards Board 2000) before the introduction of AASB 1041, while the financial year ending 30 June 2002 provides data under AASB 1041 (the new standard). ... At the disaggregated level (that is, for various sub-major classes of non-current assets), it appears that there was a decline in the number (percentage) of firms choosing to revalue investment property, property, and plant and equipment, while there was no change in the number (percentage) of firms choosing to revalue listed or unlisted investments. It appears that AASB 1041's requirement to revalue frequently when the FV basis was adopted discouraged firms from choosing the FV basis for some asset classes, presumably because the costs associated with frequent revaluations outweighed the perceived benefits. In terms of value relevance, the results suggest that where the variables of interest are scaled there was no improvement in the value relevance of the information provided by Australian companies following the introduction of AASB 1041. However, the results from the unscaled regressions do not support this conclusion and instead suggest that the introduction of AASB 1041 was associated with an overall improvement in the value relevance of the information provided with respect to the various sub-major classes of non-current assets investigated in this study. Resolution of this conflicting result is beyond the scope of this dissertation and is an issue worthy of future research. In terms of reliability, the results suggest that the introduction of AASB 1041 was generally associated with: an improvement in the reliability of information reported with respect to non-current assets reported at FV; and a deterioration in the reliability of information reported with respect to non-current assets reported at HC. Finally, with respect to the potential motivations behind a company's choice of the FV basis for reporting PP&E, the results suggest that firms are motivated to revalue PP&E to: improve their borrowing capacity; for signalling purposes; and to reduce information asymmetry.

The focus of this doctoral research is on developing an enhanced understanding of the nature and operational significance of fair values by studying the organisational systems and processes through which such values are produced. The external reporting of fair values in corporate financial statements has created significant controversy and debate, particularly during the global financial crisis with various accusations and competing defences as to whether or not such a form of accounting caused or exacerbated the crisis. Fair value accounting has been debated mainly from a relevance and reliability perspective, with much attention paid to the relative usefulness of fair value accounting to investors and claims and counter claims relating to the reliability and subjectivity of fair values compared to historical costing approaches. Investigation into implementation issues affecting reliability, however, has been little studied. While an emerging strand of the literature has pointed to the importance of recognising fair value accounting’s social constructed nature, relatively few research papers have examined the construction of fair values and the ways in which such values are shaped by social and organisational contextual influences. This research contributes to such an emerging literature through a detailed case study of the construction of fair values in an international financial services organisation. The primary focus of analysis is the work of the organisation’s central governing body in this area, namely its Fair Value Committee (FVC). The work of the FVC provides a rich empirical base from which to examine the key factors and perspectives influencing the organisation’s approach to fair values. In particular, through a detailed analysis of its formal minutes and supporting interviews with senior members of the FVC and other key organisational actors, the research documents and reflects on the nature and direction of change that the organisation experienced during the global financial crisis with respect to the operation of its fair value system. The main research findings in relation to the nature of the fair value system are: Firstly, the operation of an organisational fair value accounting system emerges not as a demonstrative example of objective, arm’s length pricing but as a social, relational process influenced by the organisational context. Secondly, in studying the way in which fair values are made sense of or constructed to be market consistent, patterns of sensemaking generally invoke a rational and prudent view of the market, which stimulates questioning as to whether fair value accounting is inherently pro-cyclical and exacerbates swings in the financial market. Thirdly, ‘fair value’ pricing should not be seen as being without a semblance of order and routine. Fourthly, the observed growing dependency of fair value accounting on valuation experts provides confirmation of the weakening jurisdictional authority of auditors and their monitoring role in overseeing fair value accounting. Finally, the research reveals clear evidence of the constitutive effects of fair value accounting on the organisation’s investment policy and permitted investments. As such, the acceptance of specialist models to construct fair values should not only be seen as being reflective of the particular organisational context but also serving in part to permit (and encourage) investments in esoteric financial instruments - a constitutive impact on the organisation's investment strategy and risk profile. The study encourages a greater empirical analysis of the operational construction, development and utilisation of fair values so as to advance knowledge and move the debate beyond polemical debates on the status of fair value accounting.

Fair value accounting for investment property has been mandatory in the EU since the adoption of IFRS 13 and has been both heavily criticized and praised. Previous research suggests that there are some inherent issues with fair value accounting for investment property, such as lacking reliability and persistence of reported unrealized earnings. There is also evidence of unrealized earnings influencing dividends and share price development related to fair value accounting in a procyclical manner. The purpose of this study is to enhance knowledge about whether fair value accounting in listed Nordic investment property companies causes procyclical effects on dividend payout and stock market behaviour. To fulfil this purpose, a quantitative analysis of financial reports and share prices of listed Nordic investment property companies was conducted. This study confirms that fair value accounting has a strong influence on dividends and share price development.

A research report submitted In partial fulfilment of the degree Master of Commerce (Accounting) University of the Witwatersrand / This research report evaluates the nature of, and gathers evidence of, the potential misuse of the non-GAAP 'adjusted earnings' by JSE-listed firms in South Africa. The prior literature is explored and applied to the South African context which is a unique environment due to the mandatory use of the non-GAAP Headline Earnings . The prior literature provides the grounding for the research methods which enhance the validity of the study. Adjusted earnings are analysed through 3 research questions and sub-questions. The first research question focuses on the nature of the use of adjusted earnings in South Africa, by examining the extent of use of adjusted earnings by a population of JSE firms, as well as the most common types of adjustments used. It is evaluated using descriptive statistical methods from data from databases and company annual financial reports. Research question 2 gathers evidence for misuse through the identification of 'valid' and 'invalid' adjustments made in the determination of adjusted earnings, as well as the identification of the repeated use of particular adjustments, which are indicators of misuse from the prior research of Bhattacharyaa, Black, Christensenb and Larsonc (2003) and Doyle, Lundholm and Soliman (2003). This question uses an ANOVA and repeated measure approach respectively using the same data from research question 1. The third research question examines whether there is an association between adjusted earnings and whether firms meet or beat analyst earnings forecasts more often (the dependent variable) as set out in Doyle, Jennings and Soliman (2013). This is assessed using logistic regression analysis using analyst earnings forecast data and company results data The results indicate that types of firms and adjustments made in South Africa are similar to U.S. literature. It raises questions around use of adjusted earnings as a performance metric and the use of Headline Earnings in South Africa. Evidence of misuse of adjusted earnings was found. In addition, a strong relationship similar to the Doyle et al. (2013) findings was found between the use of upwardly adjusted earnings and the propensity of firms to meet or beat analyst forecasts. Whether a firm s accounting earnings met or beat the forecast was also found to have significant influence on the dependent variable. It was also found that South African firms met or beat analyst forecasts significantly less often than U.S. firms, suggesting that there may be structural differences in the analyst forecasts environment in South Africa when compared to the U.S. The results suggest that adjusted earnings may be misused in South Africa, and one of the motivations to do so is to meet or beat analyst earnings forecasts. / MT2017

Verkliga värden uppges ofta vara relevanta i och med att de avspeglar aktuella händelser, men däremot ifrågasätts deras tillförlitlighet. Framförallt för sådana verkliga värden som kategoriseras inom nivå tre av den värderingshierarki som finns i redovisningsstandarden IFRS 13. Värdering av sådana tillgångar genomförs med avsaknad av marknadsdata från en aktiv marknad. Input till värderingsmodellerna är då ofta företagets egna antaganden och bedömningar av framtida händelser kopplat till tillgången där utfallet vid värderingstidpunkten i högsta grad är osäkert. Det uppkommer då en inneboende osäkerhet över utfallet av de antaganden och bedömningar som görs, en inneboende osäkerhet som även riskerar medföra vinklade värderingar från framställarna av de verkliga värdena. För att styrelsen ska kunna säkerställa att de verkliga värdena är rättvisande anges ofta interna kontroller som en metod för att förhindra de risker som på ett negativt sätt riskerar påverka tillförlitligheten av värderingarna. Uppsatsen syfte är att förstå hur interna kontroller kan påverka tillförlitligheten av verkliga värden inom nivå tre, samt hur interna kontroller av verkliga värden inom nivå tre skiljer sig gentemot interna kontroller av verkliga värden inom nivå ett och två. Studien har genomförts utifrån en kvalitativ undersökningsansats där intervjuer valts som datainsamlingsmetod. Telefonintervjuer har genomförts med kunniga personer inom ämnesområdet som jobbar hos de största revisionsbolagen i Sverige. Resultatet från studien visar på att interna kontroller kan påverka tillförlitligheten för verkliga värden inom nivå tre på två huvudsakliga sätt. Dels genom kontroll av de operativa riskerna. Det vill säga kontroller av de system och metoder som används vid värderingarnas tillvägagång. Dels genom interna kontroller av karaktären av verkliga värden inom nivå tre och den inneboende osäkerheten som där finns. Sådana kontroller handlar framförallt om att kontrollera gentemot historiken för liknande tillgångar. Studien har även påvisat skillnader i interna kontroller för verkliga värden i de olika nivåerna, skillnader som kan förklars utifrån de olika verkliga värdenas karaktär. Verkliga värden inom nivå tre anses vara mer komplexa och avancerade att framställa än verkliga värden inom övriga två nivåer varpå de även är svårare att kontrollera. Resultatet av kontrollerna för värderingar inom nivå tre är därmed en bedömning av huruvida de verkliga värdena är rimliga eller inte, medan det vid kontroll av värderingar inom övriga två nivåer är lättare att bedöma huruvida de verkliga värdena är rätt eller fel. / Valuations at fair value is often said to be relevant since they reflect current business events. However, the reliability of the valuations is questioned. Especially for does fair values that are categorized in level three of the valuation hierarchy contained in the accounting standard IFRS 13. Those valuations are carried out without access market data from an active market. The inputs to the valuation models used is then often the company´s own assumptions and estimates of future events associated to the asset for which at the measurement date the outcome is highly uncertain. The reliability of fair values in level three is then questioned as an inherent uncertainty arise over the outcome of the assumptions and estimates that are done, an inherent uncertainty that also risk to result in biased fair values by the petitioners. In order for the board to ensure that the financial statements are true and fair, internal controls is often mentioned as a method to prevent the risks that in a negative way might affect the reliability of  fair values. The aim of this paper is to understand how internal controls can affect the reliability of fair values that are categorized in level three, and how internal controls of fair values in level three distinct against internal controls of fair values in level one and two. The study was conducted using a qualitative research approach where interviews were selected as data collection method. Telephone interviews were conducted with competent people in the subject area who works for the largest accounting firms in Sweden. The result from the study indicates that internal control has a positive impact on the reliability of fair values in level three. The way internal controls can affect the reliability can be done in two main ways. It can be done through internal controls of the operative risks. That is to control the systems and methods used in the valuation approach. It can also be done through internal controls of the nature of fair values in level three and the inherent uncertainty contained therein. Such controls is mainly about to control against the history of similar assets. The study has also shown differences in internal controls of valuations between the three levels that can be explained by the difference in nature of the separate fair values. Fair values in level three is considered more complex and advanced to produce than fair values in the other two levels whereupon they are also harder to control. The outcome of internal controls of fair values in level three is thus to assess whether the fair values is reasonable or not, while in the other two levels it is easier to assess whether the fair value is correct or not.