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Timeliness of corporate financial reporting in emerging capital markets: empirical evidence from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange

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  • Stephen Owusu-Ansah

Abstract

This article reports on the results of an empirical investigation of the timeliness of annual reporting by 47 non-financial companies listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. It also reports on the factors that affect timely reporting by these companies. The results of a descriptive analysis indicate that 98% of the companies in the sample reported promptly to the public (i.e., submitted their audited annual reports to the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange by the regulatory deadline). A two-stage least squares regression identified company size, profitability and company age as statistically significant explanators of the differences in the timeliness of annual reports issued by the sample companies. No evidence was found to support the monitoring costs theory argument, which suggests that highly-geared companies are timely reporters. Furthermore, the empirical data indicate that audit reporting lead time is significantly associated with the timeliness with which sample companies release their preliminary annual earnings announcement, but not with the timeliness of their audited annual reports. Plausible explanations for these findings along with the limitations of the underlying research are provided.

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  • Stephen Owusu-Ansah, 2000. "Timeliness of corporate financial reporting in emerging capital markets: empirical evidence from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(3), pages 241-254.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acctbr:v:30:y:2000:i:3:p:241-254
    DOI: 10.1080/00014788.2000.9728939
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    Cited by:

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    2. Chen, Ni-Yun & Liu, Chi-Chun, 2021. "The effect of repurchase regulations on actual share reacquisitions and cost of debt," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
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    5. Luis Ignacio Álvarez-González & Nuria García-Rodríguez & María José Sanzo-Pérez, 2018. "Online Voluntary Transparency in Spanish Retail Firms. Measurement Index and CSR-Related Factors as Determinants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, October.
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    7. Ndidi Asien, Etumudon, 2019. "Questing For A Uniform Financial Reporting Date In Nigeria," International Journal of Contemporary Accounting Issues-IJCAI (formerly International Journal of Accounting & Finance IJAF), The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), vol. 8(2), pages 142-157, September.
    8. Moalla Marwa & Bassem Salhi & Anis Jarboui, 2020. "Environmental Audit and Environmental Disclosure Quality," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business (continues Analele Stiintifice), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 67(1), pages 93-115, March.
    9. Stergios Leventis & Pauline Weetman, 2004. "Timeliness of financial reporting: applicability of disclosure theories in an emerging capital market," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 43-56.
    10. Zeinab Azami & Tabandeh Salehi, 2017. "The relationship between audit report delay and investment opportunities," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 7(3), pages 437-449, December.
    11. Wafa Al-Ghanem & Mohamed Hegazy, 2011. "An Empirical Analysis of Audit Delays and Timeliness of Corporate Financial Reporting in Kuwait," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 1(1), pages 73-90, June.
    12. Tanzina Haque, 2023. "“Impact of Bankruptcy Risk on Reporting Aelay: An Empirical Evidence from Engineering Industry in Bangladesh.â€," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(8), pages 1538-1552, August.
    13. Eddie Chamisa & Musa Mangena & Hamutyinei Harvey Pamburai & Venancio Tauringana, 2018. "Financial reporting in hyperinflationary economies and the value relevance of accounting amounts: hard evidence from Zimbabwe," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1241-1273, December.
    14. Clatworthy, Mark A. & Peel, Michael J., 2016. "The timeliness of UK private company financial reporting: Regulatory and economic influences," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 297-315.
    15. Trevor Hopper & Mathew Tsamenyi & Shahzad Uddin & Danture Wickramasinghe, 2009. "Management accounting in less developed countries: what is known and needs knowing," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 469-514, March.
    16. Enrique BONSON & Cinta BORRERO, 2011. "Analysis of the Timeliness of Financial Statements Submitted by Companies of the Spanish Continuous Market," Review of Economic and Business Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 8, pages 63-86, December.
    17. Cohen, Sandra & Leventis, Stergios, 2013. "Effects of municipal, auditing and political factors on audit delay," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 40-53.
    18. Olawole, A., 2023. "Corporate Governance Attributes and Audit Report Lag in Nigerian Listed Commercial Bank," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(7), pages 1569-1582, July.
    19. Oliver Lukason & María-del-Mar Camacho-Miñano, 2019. "Bankruptcy Risk, Its Financial Determinants and Reporting Delays: Do Managers Have Anything to Hide?," Risks, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-15, July.
    20. Hussein Ali Khasharmeh & Khaled Aljifri, 2010. "The Timeliness Of Annual Reports In Bahrain And The United Arab Emirates: An Empirical Comparative Study," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 4(1), pages 51-71.
    21. Srbinoska Dusica Stevcevska & Srbinoski Igor, 2021. "A study on audit report timeliness: The Macedonian Stock Exchange," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 57(3), pages 234-254, September.
    22. repec:mth:ijafr8:v:9:y:2019:i:1:p:450-461 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Beylem Çelik & Gökhan Özer & Abdullah Kürşat Merter, 2023. "The Effect of Ownership Structure on Financial Reporting Timeliness: An Implementation on Borsa Istanbul," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    24. Awatif Hodaed Alsheikh & Warda Hodaed Alsheikh, 2023. "Does Audit Committee Busyness Impact Audit Report Lag?," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, March.

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