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Accounting comparability, financial reporting quality, and the pricing of accruals

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  • Chen, Anthony
  • Gong, James Jianxin

Abstract

This study examines the impact of accounting comparability on financial reporting quality and the extent to which financial statement users understand the implications of firms' accruals. We predict that comparability improves the information environment, which not only enhances the ability of managers to estimate accruals more accurately and signal their private information, but also improves investors' comprehension of accruals. Utilizing restatements, the mapping of accruals into cash flows, earnings persistence, and audit fees as measures of financial reporting quality, we find that prior-period comparability is associated with higher financial reporting quality. We also provide evidence that comparability is positively associated with managerial forecast accuracy and precision, consistent with comparability improving the ability of managers to predict future firm performance. Furthermore, we find that when prior-period comparability is higher, current period discretionary accruals are less positively correlated with contemporaneous returns and less negatively correlated with future returns, consistent with our prediction that comparability improves the pricing efficiency of accruals. Our results are robust to controlling for the endogeneity of accounting comparability and several different empirical model specifications. Overall, our findings suggest that enhanced accounting comparability is beneficial to both preparers and users of financial statements.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Anthony & Gong, James Jianxin, 2019. "Accounting comparability, financial reporting quality, and the pricing of accruals," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-1.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:advacc:v:45:y:2019:i:c:6
    DOI: 10.1016/j.adiac.2019.03.003
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Majeed, Muhammad Ansar & Yan, Chao, 2021. "Financial statement comparability, state ownership, and the cost of debt: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    2. Liem Thanh Nguyen & Khuong Vinh Nguyen, 2021. "Accounting Comparability and Cash Holdings in Vietnam," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Michael Neel & Irfan Safdar, 2024. "Financial statement relevance, representational faithfulness, and comparability," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 309-339, January.
    4. Changjie Hu & Ming Liu, 2023. "Protect or Compete? Evidence of Firms’ Innovation from Import Penetration," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Ding Ning & Irfan-Ullah & Muhammad Ansar Majeed & Aurang Zeb, 2022. "Board diversity and financial statement comparability: evidence from China," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(4), pages 743-801, December.
    6. Eva Cerioni & Alessia D’Andrea & Marco Giuliani & Stefano Marasca, 2021. "Non-Financial Disclosure and Intra-Industry Comparability: A Macro, Meso and Micro Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-23, January.
    7. Wenjun Kuang, 2023. "Accounting comparability and the accuracy of management earnings forecasts in Japan," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 23-07, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    8. Nguyen Vinh Khuong & Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman & Abdelrhman Meero & Le Huu Tuan Anh & Nguyen Thanh Liem & Cao Thi Mien Thuy & Huynh Thi Ngoc Ly, 2022. "The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Accounting Comparability on Earnings Persistence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-14, February.
    9. Emilio Abad-Segura & Mariana-Daniela González-Zamar, 2020. "Research Analysis on Emerging Technologies in Corporate Accounting," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-29, September.

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