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Does the earnings quality matter? Evidence from a quasi-experimental setting

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  • Baschieri, Giulia
  • Carosi, Andrea
  • Mengoli, Stefano

Abstract

Investor preference for local stocks provides a quasi-experimental setting to investigate whether the market rewards firms that comply with generally accepted accounting principles. We show firms with low earnings quality trade at a premium compared to firms in compliance with accounting principles; the difference in values is greater when the role of local investor over-trading is stronger in stock price-formation, in other words for the more isolated firms. The value of the information not conveyed to the market through accounting disclosure accounts for 30% of the market-to-book. Results are robust to earnings quality definition, and show while non-local investors are sensitive to the quality of accounting information, local and better-informed investors are not. Overall, accounting quality matters.

Suggested Citation

  • Baschieri, Giulia & Carosi, Andrea & Mengoli, Stefano, 2016. "Does the earnings quality matter? Evidence from a quasi-experimental setting," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 146-157.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:19:y:2016:i:c:p:146-157
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2016.07.006
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnings quality; Accounting information; Local Home Bias;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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