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Value relevance and timeliness of transitional goodwill-impairment losses: Evidence from Canada

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  • Lapointe-Antunes, Pascale
  • Cormier, Denis
  • Magnan, Michel

Abstract

Focusing on transitional goodwill-impairment losses (losses) recorded by Canadian firms following the adoption of revised standards on purchased goodwill, we investigate the value relevance and timeliness of mandatory changes in accounting principles accounted for using the retroactive method. We find a negative relationship between reported losses and share price. Such a finding is consistent with investors perceiving losses as being sufficiently reliable measurements of a reduction in the value of goodwill to incorporate them in their valuation assessments. We find also that investors put a higher valuation weight on losses reported by firms that are expected to record a loss. In addition, we show that investors perceive that there are reduced opportunities for managerial discretion when there is a more effective audit committee. Finally, our results show that returns lead losses, i.e., that losses represent a catch-up adjustment to reflect the cumulative effect of using the impairment approach for the first time. Overall, our evidence supports U.S. standard setters' decision, through SFAS 154, to favour enhanced comparability and consistency over the potential costs of frequent restatements. Our results also show that fair-value measurements can be relevant even when the financial statement elements of interest are inherently bound to measurement error and subject to significant managerial discretion. They support the notion that reliability is about faithful representation, not precision.

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  • Lapointe-Antunes, Pascale & Cormier, Denis & Magnan, Michel, 2009. "Value relevance and timeliness of transitional goodwill-impairment losses: Evidence from Canada," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 56-78, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:accoun:v:44:y:2009:i:1:p:56-78
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    Cited by:

    1. Paul Van Hulzen & Laura Alfonso & Georgios Georgakopoulos & Ioannis Sotiropoulos, 2011. "Amortisation Versus Impairment of Goodwill and Accounting Quality," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Kavala Campus, Greece, vol. 4(3), pages 93-118, December.
    2. Vassili Joannides & Nicolas Berland & Danture Wickramasinghe, 2010. "Post-Hofstede diversity/cultural studies: what contributions to accounting knowledge?," Post-Print hal-01661685, HAL.
    3. Benjamin T. Albersmann & Reiner Quick, 2020. "The Impact of Audit Quality Indicators on the Timeliness of Goodwill Impairments: Evidence from the German Setting," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 56(1), pages 66-103, March.
    4. Begoña Giner & Francisca Pardo, 2015. "How Ethical are Managers’ Goodwill Impairment Decisions in Spanish-Listed Firms?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(1), pages 21-40, November.
    5. Roncagliolo, Elisa & Avallone, Francesco, 2022. "Recognition of provisional goodwill: Real need or communication strategy?," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    6. Vassili Joannides & Nicolas Berland & D. T. Wickramasinghe, 2010. "Post-Hofstede diversity/cultural studies: what contributions to accounting knowledge?," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-00676570, HAL.
    7. Xu, Jingjing & Huang, Haijie & Lee, Edward & Petaibanlue, Jirada, 2023. "Does goodwill pressure drive business restructuring based on subsidiary disposal?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    8. Amer Qasim & Ayman E. Haddad & Naser M. AbuGhazaleh, 2013. "Goodwill Accounting In The United Kingdom: The Effect Of International Financial Reporting Standards," Review of Business and Finance Studies, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 4(1), pages 63-78.
    9. Mihaela DUMITRASCU & Radu Daniel LOGHIN, 2016. "A Study on the Relevance of the Goodwill Impairment in Context of Audit Partner`s Rotation," The Audit Financiar journal, Chamber of Financial Auditors of Romania, vol. 14(133), pages 1-88, January.
    10. Abdul Majid, Jamaliah, 2015. "Reporting incentives, ownership concentration by the largest outside shareholder, and reported goodwill impairment losses," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 199-214.
    11. Carmen- Alexandra BALTARIU, 2015. "The Current State Of Knowledge In The Value Relevance Research Field," SEA - Practical Application of Science, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 7, pages 13-20, April.
    12. Iatridis, George Emmanuel & Pappas, Kostas & Walker, Martin, 2022. "Narrative disclosure quality and the timeliness of goodwill impairments," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(2).
    13. Vassili Joannides & Nicolas Berland & D. T. Wickramasinghe, 2010. "Post-Hofstede diversity/cultural studies: what contributions to accounting knowledge?," Post-Print hal-00676570, HAL.
    14. Alshehabi, Ahmad & Georgiou, George & Ala, Alessandro S., 2021. "Country-specific drivers of the value relevance of goodwill impairment losses," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    15. Keishi Fujiyama, 2020. "Incorporating Piecewi se-linear Variables into an Empirical Model of Non-current Asset Impairment Timeliness," Discussion Paper Series DP2020-31, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Oct 2021.
    16. Inès Bouden & Luc Paugam & Olivier J. Ramond, 2011. "Les déterminants de la dépréciation du goodwill : proposition d'un cadre d'analyse," Post-Print hal-00646810, HAL.
    17. Bagna, Emanuel & Ramusino, Enrico Cotta & Ogliari, Matteo, 2023. "The impact of different goodwill accounting methods on stock prices: A comparison of amortization and impairment-only methodologies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    18. Alshehabi, Ahmad & Halabi, Hussein & Adwan, Sami & Boubaker, Sabri, 2024. "The impact of industry competition on the value relevance of goodwill impairments across different information environments," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    19. Vassili Joannides & Nicolas Berland & Danture Wickramasinghe, 2010. "Post-Hofstede diversity/cultural studies: what contributions to accounting knowledge?," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-01661685, HAL.
    20. Hahn, Sebastian, 2021. "The Role of Large Institutional Ownership on Goodwill Impairment under the SFAS 142 Regime," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 6(2), pages 408-423.

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