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The changing relevance of accounting information to debt holders over time

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  • Dan Givoly

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Carla Hayn

    (University of California, Los Angeles)

  • Sharon Katz

    (Columbia University)

Abstract

A number of studies have examined the change over time in the information content of accounting numbers to stockholders. However, the stockholders’ perspective is not necessarily identical to that of debt holders. The two groups face different risks and rewards, and thus their informational needs are not the same. We examine the change in the information content of accounting numbers over time from the debt holders’ perspective and hypothesize about the economic and reporting factors likely to affect this change. Using the association between accounting numbers and bond valuation and returns, we find that the information content to debt holders has increased over time. In contrast, but consistent with prior studies, we find that the information content to equity holders has declined. The results suggest that the increased information content to debt holders is related to changes in credit risk and to reporting factors such as the increase in reporting conservatism, the shift towards fair value accounting, and the increase in the frequency of losses. The findings contribute to the scant literature on the use of accounting information by debt holders and the extent to which financial reporting meets their unique needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Dan Givoly & Carla Hayn & Sharon Katz, 2017. "The changing relevance of accounting information to debt holders over time," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 64-108, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reaccs:v:22:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s11142-016-9374-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11142-016-9374-y
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    3. Yang, Shanxiang & Liu, Zhechen & Wang, Xinjie, 2020. "News sentiment, credit spreads, and information asymmetry," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    4. Almaghrabi, Khadija S. & Tsalavoutas, Ioannis, 2022. "Political spending, related voluntary disclosure, and the cost of public debt," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
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    6. Yiwei Dou, 2020. "The Debt-Contracting Value of Accounting Numbers and Financial Covenant Renegotiation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(3), pages 1124-1148, March.
    7. Petya Platikanova & Kazbi Soonawalla, 2020. "Who monitors opaque borrowers? Debt specialisation, institutional ownership, and information opacity," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(2), pages 1867-1904, June.
    8. Chu, Ling & Mathieu, Robert & Mbagwu, Chima, 2018. "The association between firm fundamentals and bank interest rates under different measures of risk," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 46-58.
    9. Shijiao Cao & Jianqiong Wang, 2023. "Longitudinal accounting comparability and bond credit spreads: Evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 1953-1981, June.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bond valuation; Bond returns; Accounting information; Conservatism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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