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Accounting Quality and Loan Pricing: The Effect of Cross-country Differences in Legal Enforcement

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  • Anagnostopoulou, Seraina C.

Abstract

This study examines whether the strength of legal enforcement at the country level plays a role in the value-relevance of accounting quality for loan pricing determination, using an international sample of firms reporting under IFRS. The underlying hypothesis is that stronger vs. weaker enforcement should affect the informativeness of financial statements, due to their increased credibility, and thus results in a stronger influence of accounting quality on loan pricing, in case this information is considered more reliable by potential lenders. Evidence indicates that accounting quality is consequential for the determination of loan spread only in combination with the level of legal enforcement, and this only holds for the countries with stronger legal enforcement. This evidence indicates that financial statement quality information is value-relevant and has a significant impact on the determination of loan pricing only if this information is considered to be credible enough by loan providers in a country, and this is the case when legal enforcement is stronger.

Suggested Citation

  • Anagnostopoulou, Seraina C., 2017. "Accounting Quality and Loan Pricing: The Effect of Cross-country Differences in Legal Enforcement," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 178-200.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:accoun:v:52:y:2017:i:2:p:178-200
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intacc.2016.11.001
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    Cited by:

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    3. Chaney, Paul K., 2017. "Discussion of “Accounting quality and loan pricing: The effect of cross-country differences in legal enforcement”," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 201-204.
    4. Alberto Quagli & Corrado Lagazio & Paola Ramassa, 2021. "From enforcement to financial reporting controls (FRCs): a country-level composite indicator," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(2), pages 397-427, June.
    5. Ahmed Saleh & Ahmed Aboud & Yasser Eliwa, 2023. "IFRS 8 and the cost of capital in Europe," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 3198-3231, July.
    6. Amidu, Mohammed & Mohammed Sissy, Aisha & Haruna, Issahaku, 2017. "The effects of cross-border banking and institutional quality on accounting information of banks in Africa," MPRA Paper 101509, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 15 Sep 2017.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Accounting quality; IFRS; Legal enforcement; Bank loan terms and conditions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M40 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - General
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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