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REIT Auditor Fees and Financial Market Transparency

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  • Bartley R. Danielsen
  • David M. Harrison
  • Robert A. Van Ness
  • Richard S. Warr

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between overinvestment in audit services, abnormal nonaudit fees paid to the auditor and market‐based measures of firm transparency. Because real estate investment trusts (REITs) must distribute 90% of their earnings as dividends, many are repeat participants in the seasoned equity market. Thus, REITs have unusually strong incentives to strive for security market transparency. We find that the capital markets reward REITs that overinvest in audit services with better liquidity as measured by bid‐ask spreads. However, firms with abnormally high nonaudit expenditures appear to be penalized with wider spreads, consistent with the notion that such fees may compromise auditor independence.

Suggested Citation

  • Bartley R. Danielsen & David M. Harrison & Robert A. Van Ness & Richard S. Warr, 2009. "REIT Auditor Fees and Financial Market Transparency," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 37(3), pages 515-557, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:reesec:v:37:y:2009:i:3:p:515-557
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6229.2009.00250.x
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    Cited by:

    1. George D. Cashman & David M. Harrison & Michael J. Seiler & Hainan Sheng, 2019. "The Impact of Geographic and Cultural Dispersion on Information Opacity," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 166-208, August.
    2. Guojie Ma, 2016. "Corporate Behaviour and Market Integration: Evidence from the Asia-Pacific Real Estate Market," PhD Thesis, Finance Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, number 3-2016.
    3. Coën, Alain & Desfleurs, Aurélie, 2022. "The relative performance of green REITs: Evidence from financial analysts’ forecasts and abnormal returns," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    4. George D. Cashman & David M. Harrison & Christine A. Panasian, 2016. "Clawback Provisions In Real Estate Investment Trusts," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 39(1), pages 87-114, March.
    5. Paul Goebel & David Harrison & Jeffrey Mercer & Ryan Whitby, 2013. "REIT Momentum and Characteristic-Related REIT Returns," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 564-581, October.
    6. repec:uts:finphd:35 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. George D. Cashman & David M. Harrison & Shelly Howton & Benjamin Scheick, 2023. "The Cost of Financial Flexibility: Information Opacity, Agency Conflicts and REIT at-the-Market (ATM) Equity Offerings," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 505-541, February.
    8. Elizabeth Devos & Erik Devos & Seow Eng Ong & Andrew C. Spieler, 2019. "Information Asymmetry and REIT Capital Market Access," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 90-110, July.
    9. S. Price & Dean Gatzlaff & C. Sirmans, 2012. "Information Uncertainty and the Post-Earnings-Announcement Drift Anomaly: Insights from REITs," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 250-274, January.
    10. James Doran & David Peterson & S. Price, 2012. "Earnings Conference Call Content and Stock Price: The Case of REITs," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 402-434, August.
    11. Daoju Peng & Jianfu Shen & Simon Yu Kit Fung & Eddie C. M. Hui & Kwokyuen Fan, 2024. "The Valuation Effect and Consequences of Clawback Adoption in Real Estate Investment Trusts," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 68(2), pages 274-317, February.
    12. Gyamfi-Yeboah, Frank & Ling, David C. & Naranjo, Andy, 2012. "Information, uncertainty, and behavioral effects: Evidence from abnormal returns around real estate investment trust earnings announcements," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 1930-1952.

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