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Do UK firms manage earnings to meet dividend thresholds?

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  • Abdallah Atieh
  • Simon Hussain

Abstract

This paper examines earnings management by dividend-paying firms in cases where pre-managed earnings would fall below the expected dividend, and by non-dividend paying firms aiming to avoid reporting losses. We find that within the UK market the likelihood of upward earnings management is significantly greater in the former case than the latter, though both are drivers for earnings management. Large firms are less likely to upwardly manage earnings to reach dividend thresholds, consistent with prior UK evidence on the ability of the largest firms to avoid restrictive debt covenants. We also find that earnings management is more clearly observable through examining working capital discretionary accruals than through examining total discretionary accruals.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdallah Atieh & Simon Hussain, 2012. "Do UK firms manage earnings to meet dividend thresholds?," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 77-94, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acctbr:v:42:y:2012:i:1:p:77-94
    DOI: 10.1080/00014788.2012.622187
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Renneboog, L.D.R. & Trojanowski, G., 2005. "Patterns in Payout Policy and Payout Channel Choice of UK Firms in the 1990s," Other publications TiSEM bf59de69-bfcd-462e-a933-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    2. Andrew Benito & Garry Young, 2003. "Hard Times or Great Expectations? Dividend Omissions and Dividend Cuts by UK Firms," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 65(5), pages 531-555, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nico Lehmann, 2016. "The role of corporate governance in shaping accruals manipulation prior to acquisitions," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(4), pages 327-364, June.
    2. Nguyet T. M. Nguyen & Abdullah Iqbal & Radha K. Shiwakoti, 2022. "The context of earnings management and its ability to predict future stock returns," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 123-169, July.
    3. Martin Walker, 2013. "How far can we trust earnings numbers? What research tells us about earnings management," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(4), pages 445-481, August.
    4. Ramesh Chandra Das & Chandra Sekhar Mishra & Prabina Rajib, 2018. "Firm-specific Parameters and Earnings Management: A Study in the Indian Context," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 19(5), pages 1240-1260, October.
    5. Chang, Kiyoung & Kim, Young Sang & Li, Ying & Park, Jong Chool, 2022. "Labor unions and real earnings management," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    6. Sinan S. Abbadi & Murad Y. Abuaddous & Hanady T Bataineh & Abdulla E Muttairi, 2020. "The Impact of Earnings Management on Dividend Policy: Evidence From Kuwait," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 11(5), pages 518-526, October.
    7. Xin Yao Li & Pei-Wen Chen, 2020. "Meeting Dividend Thresholds Through Earnings Management of Listed Companies in South Africa," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 10(6), pages 1-5.

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