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Disentangling Managers’ and Analysts’ Non‐GAAP Reporting

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  • JEREMIAH W. BENTLEY
  • THEODORE E. CHRISTENSEN
  • KURT H. GEE
  • BENJAMIN C. WHIPPLE

Abstract

Researchers frequently proxy for managers’ non‐GAAP disclosures using performance metrics available through analyst forecast data providers (FDPs), such as I/B/E/S. The extent to which FDP‐provided earnings are a valid proxy for managers’ non‐GAAP reporting, however, has been debated extensively. We explore this important question by creating the first large‐sample data set of managers’ non‐GAAP earnings disclosures, which we directly compare to I/B/E/S data. Although we find a substantial overlap between the two data sets, we also find that they differ in systematic ways because I/B/E/S (1) excludes managers’ lower quality non‐GAAP numbers and (2) sometimes provides higher quality non‐GAAP measures that managers do not explicitly disclose. Our results indicate that using I/B/E/S to identify managers’ non‐GAAP disclosures significantly underestimates the aggressiveness of their reporting choices. We encourage researchers interested in managers’ non‐GAAP reporting to use our newly available data set of manager‐disclosed non‐GAAP metrics because it more accurately captures managers’ reporting choices.

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  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:56:y:2018:i:4:p:1039-1081
    DOI: 10.1111/1475-679X.12206
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    Cited by:

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    3. Brian Bratten & Stephannie Larocque & Teri Lombardi Yohn, 2023. "Filling in the GAAPs in Individual Analysts’ Street Earnings Forecasts," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(8), pages 4790-4809, August.
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    7. 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.
    8. Zalata, Alaa Mansour & Abdelfattah, Tarek, 2021. "Non-executive female directors and earnings management using classification shifting," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 301-315.
    9. 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).
    10. Nilabhra Bhattacharya & Bidisha Chakrabarty & Xu (Frank) Wang, 2020. "High-frequency traders and price informativeness during earnings announcements," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1156-1199, September.
    11. Dirk E. Black & Ervin L. Black & Theodore E. Christensen & Kurt H. Gee, 2022. "Comparing Non-GAAP EPS in Earnings Announcements and Proxy Statements," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(2), pages 1353-1377, February.
    12. Stolowy, Hervé & Paugam, Luc & Gendron, Yves, 2022. "Competing for narrative authority in capital markets: Activist short sellers vs. financial analysts," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    13. Rouen, Ethan & So, Eric C. & Wang, Charles C.Y., 2021. "Core earnings: New data and evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(3), pages 1068-1091.
    14. Jarva, Henry & Kallunki, Juha-Pekka & Livne, Gilad, 2019. "Earnings performance measures and CEO turnover: Street versus GAAP earnings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 249-266.
    15. Mary Ellen Carter & Luann J. Lynch & Melissa A. Martin, 2022. "Board Committee Overlap and the Use of Earnings in CEO Compensation Contracts," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(8), pages 6268-6297, August.
    16. 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.
    17. Chen, Xia & Jiang, Xuejun & Lu, Louise Yi & Yu, Yangxin, 2021. "Local political corruption and Firm's non-GAAP reporting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    18. Li, Ken, 2022. "Textual fundamentals in earnings press releases," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
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    20. Laurion, Henry, 2020. "Implications of Non-GAAP earnings for real activities and accounting choices," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1).
    21. 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).

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