IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jaecon/v73y2022i2s0165410121000884.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Non-GAAP earnings and stock price crash risk

Author

Listed:
  • Hsu, Charles
  • Wang, Rencheng
  • Whipple, Benjamin C.

Abstract

We investigate whether non-GAAP earnings disclosures increase stock price crash risk. Consistent with non-GAAP disclosures allowing managers to inflate investors’ perceptions about firm performance, our results indicate that income increasing non-GAAP reporting increases crash risk. We also find that managers can use non-GAAP reporting as a substitute for earnings management to withhold bad news from investors (the traditional explanation for crashes). Finally, we find a positive association between non-GAAP reporting and the likelihood of subsequent events that can trigger a crash. Overall, our evidence is consistent with some non-GAAP disclosures exposing investors to risks of large and sudden price declines.

Suggested Citation

  • Hsu, Charles & Wang, Rencheng & Whipple, Benjamin C., 2022. "Non-GAAP earnings and stock price crash risk," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:73:y:2022:i:2:s0165410121000884
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2021.101473
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165410121000884
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jacceco.2021.101473?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Black, D.E. & Christensen, T.E., 2018. "Policy implications of research on non-GAAP reporting," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 1-7.
    2. Doyle, Jeffrey T. & Jennings, Jared N. & Soliman, Mark T., 2013. "Do managers define non-GAAP earnings to meet or beat analyst forecasts?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 40-56.
    3. Jin, Li & Myers, Stewart C., 2006. "R2 around the world: New theory and new tests," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(2), pages 257-292, February.
    4. Malcolm Baker & Jeffrey Wurgler, 2006. "Investor Sentiment and the Cross‐Section of Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(4), pages 1645-1680, August.
    5. Chansog (Francis) Kim & Ke Wang & Liandong Zhang, 2019. "Readability of 10‐K Reports and Stock Price Crash Risk," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 36(2), pages 1184-1216, June.
    6. Chen, Joseph & Hong, Harrison & Stein, Jeremy C., 2001. "Forecasting crashes: trading volume, past returns, and conditional skewness in stock prices," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 345-381, September.
    7. Theodore E. Christensen & Enrique Gomez & Matthew Ma & Jing Pan, 2021. "Analysts’ role in shaping non-GAAP reporting: evidence from a natural experiment," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 172-217, March.
    8. Jeong†Bon Kim & Liandong Zhang, 2016. "Accounting Conservatism and Stock Price Crash Risk: Firm†level Evidence," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(1), pages 412-441, March.
    9. Min Zhang & Lu Xie & Haoran Xu, 2016. "Corporate Philanthropy and Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 595-617, December.
    10. Dirk E. Black & Theodore E. Christensen & Jack T. Ciesielski & Benjamin C. Whipple, 2018. "Non†GAAP reporting: Evidence from academia and current practice," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(3-4), pages 259-294, March.
    11. Bhattacharya, Nilabhra & Black, Ervin L. & Christensen, Theodore E. & Larson, Chad R., 2003. "Assessing the relative informativeness and permanence of pro forma earnings and GAAP operating earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-3), pages 285-319, December.
    12. Lauren Cohen & Christopher Malloy & Lukasz Pomorski, 2012. "Decoding Inside Information," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(3), pages 1009-1043, June.
    13. Kim, Jeong-Bon & Li, Yinghua & Zhang, Liandong, 2011. "Corporate tax avoidance and stock price crash risk: Firm-level analysis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(3), pages 639-662, June.
    14. Zhang, Huai & Zheng, Liu, 2011. "The valuation impact of reconciling pro forma earnings to GAAP earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 186-202.
    15. Heflin, Frank & Hsu, Charles, 2008. "The impact of the SEC's regulation of non-GAAP disclosures," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2-3), pages 349-365, December.
    16. Hutton, Amy P. & Marcus, Alan J. & Tehranian, Hassan, 2009. "Opaque financial reports, R2, and crash risk," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 67-86, October.
    17. Kyung, Hangsoo & Lee, Hakyin & Marquardt, Carol, 2019. "The effect of voluntary clawback adoption on non-GAAP reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 175-201.
    18. Granger, C. W. J. & Newbold, Paul, 1986. "Forecasting Economic Time Series," Elsevier Monographs, Elsevier, edition 2, number 9780122951831 edited by Shell, Karl.
    19. S. P. Kothari & Susan Shu & Peter D. Wysocki, 2009. "Do Managers Withhold Bad News?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 241-276, March.
    20. Theodore E. Christensen & Michael S. Drake & Jacob R. Thornock, 2014. "Optimistic Reporting and Pessimistic Investing: Do Pro Forma Earnings Disclosures Attract Short Sellers?," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 67-102, March.
    21. Hanlon, Michelle & Slemrod, Joel, 2009. "What does tax aggressiveness signal? Evidence from stock price reactions to news about tax shelter involvement," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1-2), pages 126-141, February.
    22. Charles Hsu & William Kross, 2011. "The Market Pricing of Special Items that are Included in versus Excluded from Street Earnings," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(3), pages 990-1017, September.
    23. Nerissa C. Brown & Theodore E. Christensen & W. Brooke Elliott & Richard D. Mergenthaler, 2012. "Investor Sentiment and Pro Forma Earnings Disclosures," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 1-40, March.
    24. Kim, Jeong-Bon & Li, Yinghua & Zhang, Liandong, 2011. "CFOs versus CEOs: Equity incentives and crashes," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(3), pages 713-730, September.
    25. Kim, Jeong-Bon & Li, Leye & Lu, Louise Yi & Yu, Yangxin, 2016. "Financial statement comparability and expected crash risk," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 294-312.
    26. Jeremiah W. Bentley & Theodore E. Christensen & Kurt H. Gee & Benjamin C. Whipple, 2018. "Disentangling Managers’ and Analysts’ Non‐GAAP Reporting," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 1039-1081, September.
    27. Bradshaw, Mark T. & Christensen, Theodore E. & Gee, Kurt H. & Whipple, Benjamin C., 2018. "Analysts’ GAAP earnings forecasts and their implications for accounting research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 46-66.
    28. Gu, Zhaoyang & Chen, Ting, 2004. "Analysts' treatment of nonrecurring items in street earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 129-170, December.
    29. Oded Rozenbaum, 2019. "EBITDA and Managers' Investment and Leverage Choices," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 36(1), pages 513-546, March.
    30. Si Li & Xintong Zhan, 2019. "Product Market Threats and Stock Crash Risk," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(9), pages 4011-4031, September.
    31. Zhang, Huai & Zheng, Liu, 2011. "The valuation impact of reconciling pro forma earnings to GAAP earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1-2), pages 186-202, February.
    32. Ervin L. Black & Theodore E. Christensen & T. Taylor Joo & Roy Schmardebeck, 2017. "The Relation Between Earnings Management and Non†GAAP Reporting," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(2), pages 750-782, June.
    33. Hyunil Lim & Sang Koo Kang & Haksoon Kim, 2016. "Auditor Quality, IFRS Adoption, and Stock Price Crash Risk: Korean Evidence," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(9), pages 2100-2114, September.
    34. Laurion, Henry, 2020. "Implications of Non-GAAP earnings for real activities and accounting choices," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1).
    35. Mark T. Bradshaw & Richard G. Sloan, 2002. "GAAP versus The Street: An Empirical Assessment of Two Alternative Definitions of Earnings," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 41-66, March.
    36. Edith Leung & David Veenman, 2018. "Non‐GAAP Earnings Disclosure in Loss Firms," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 1083-1137, September.
    37. Jeong†Bon Kim & Zheng Wang & Liandong Zhang, 2016. "CEO Overconfidence and Stock Price Crash Risk," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(4), pages 1720-1749, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Benkraiem, Ramzi & Goutte, Stéphane & Saadi, Samir & Zhu, Hui & Zhu, Steven, 2022. "Investor heterogeneity and negative skewness in stock returns: Evidence from institutional investors," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Claudia Arena & Simona Catuogno & Nicola Moscariello, 2021. "The unusual debate on non-GAAP reporting in the current standard practice. The lens of corporate governance," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(3), pages 655-684, September.
    2. Sascha B. Herr & Peter Lorson & Jochen Pilhofer, 2022. "Alternative Performance Measures: A Structured Literature Review of Research in Academic and Professional Journals," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 389-451, September.
    3. Theodore E. Christensen & Enrique Gomez & Matthew Ma & Jing Pan, 2021. "Analysts’ role in shaping non-GAAP reporting: evidence from a natural experiment," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 172-217, March.
    4. Florian Meier, 2020. "The Age of Cheap Money and Passive Investing: Are Pro Forma Earnings Value Relevant?," Journal of Finance and Investment Analysis, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 9(2), pages 1-1.
    5. An, Suwei, 2023. "Essays on incentive contracts, M&As, and firm risk," Other publications TiSEM dd97d2f5-1c9d-47c5-ba62-f, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    6. Li, Donghui & Xing, Lu & Zhao, Yang, 2022. "Does extended auditor disclosure deter managerial bad-news hoarding? Evidence from crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    7. Bradshaw, Mark T. & Christensen, Theodore E. & Gee, Kurt H. & Whipple, Benjamin C., 2018. "Analysts’ GAAP earnings forecasts and their implications for accounting research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 46-66.
    8. Kim, Jeong-Bon & Liao, Shushu & Liu, Yangke, 2021. "Married CEOs and Stock Price Crash Risk," QBS Working Paper Series 2021/09, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's Business School.
    9. Thomas R. Kubick & G. Brandon Lockhart, 2021. "Industry tournament incentives and stock price crash risk," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 50(2), pages 345-369, June.
    10. Chen, Han-Chung & Lee, Yen-Jung & Lo, Sheng-Yi & Yu, Yong, 2021. "Qualitative characteristics of non-GAAP disclosures and non-GAAP earnings quality," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1).
    11. Feng He & Yaqian Feng & Lingbing Feng, 2023. "Social media information dissemination and corporate bad news hoarding," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(S1), pages 1503-1532, April.
    12. Zhou, Jingting & Li, Wanli & Yan, Ziqiao & Lyu, Huaili, 2021. "Controlling shareholder share pledging and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Kyung, Hangsoo & Lee, Hakyin & Marquardt, Carol, 2019. "The effect of voluntary clawback adoption on non-GAAP reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 175-201.
    14. Nilabhra Bhattacharya & Theodore E. Christensen & Qunfeng Liao & Bo Ouyang, 2022. "Can short sellers constrain aggressive non-GAAP reporting?," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 391-440, June.
    15. An, Zhe & Chen, Chen & Naiker, Vic & Wang, Jun, 2020. "Does media coverage deter firms from withholding bad news? Evidence from stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    16. Balachandran, Balasingham & Duong, Huu Nhan & Luong, Hoang & Nguyen, Lily, 2020. "Does takeover activity affect stock price crash risk? Evidence from international M&A laws," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    17. Xu, Lin & Rao, Yulei & Cheng, Yingmei & Wang, Jianxin, 2020. "Internal coalition and stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    18. Cao, Feng & Zhang, Xueyan & Yuan, Rongli, 2022. "Do geographically nearby major customers mitigate suppliers’ stock price crash risk?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(6).
    19. Leilei Gu & Jinyu Liu & Yuchao Peng, 2022. "Locality Stereotype, CEO Trustworthiness and Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(4), pages 773-797, February.
    20. Khalil Jebran & Shihua Chen & Ruibin Zhang, 2022. "Board social capital and stock price crash risk," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 499-540, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Non-GAAP earnings; Stock price crash risk; Disclosure; Regulation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G17 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Financial Forecasting and Simulation
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:73:y:2022:i:2:s0165410121000884. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jae .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.