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Accounting earnings and firm valuation: the French case

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  • Pascal Dumontier
  • Real Labelle

Abstract

Considering that the level of the association between stock returns and accounting earnings provides a measure of the extent to which earnings summarize the information which is useful for firm valuation, this paper analyses the contemporaneous association between stock returns and earnings changes or earnings level of individual French stocks and portfolios for periods of one, two and five years between 1981 and 1990. The empirical findings are as follows. (a) Stock returns are more linked to earnings changes than to earnings levels indicating that earnings provide more information about changes in firm value than about firm value. (b) Earnings prepared in accordance with the French accounting principles are not less value-relevant than those prepared in accordance with US or UK GAAP. (c) A cross-sectionally and time-aggregated data procedure provides a large increase in the explanatory power of earnings for returns which is consistent with a noise-in-earnings effect probably induced by accounting measurement and valuation principles and with a recognition lag effect due to the fact that value-relevant events are not integrated into earnings exactly when they occur. These two effects are shown to be the major causes of the low association between earnings and returns generally observed in studies based on short period data for individual stocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Pascal Dumontier & Real Labelle, 1998. "Accounting earnings and firm valuation: the French case," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 163-183.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:7:y:1998:i:2:p:163-183
    DOI: 10.1080/096381898336439
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    Cited by:

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    2. Tayeb Saadi, 2010. "Contenus Informationnels Du Resultat Net Et Des Capitaux Propres : Quelle Pertinence Apres L'Introduction Des Normes Ifrs : Le Cas De La France," Post-Print hal-00481550, HAL.
    3. repec:dau:papers:123456789/1151 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Pascal Dumontier & Bernard Raffournier, 2002. "Accounting and capital markets: a survey of the European evidence," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 119-151.
    5. Mohamed Sellami, 2006. "Typologie des déterminants comptables de la valeur : Apports de l'approche économique de l'information dans la mesure de la valeur," Post-Print halshs-00558252, HAL.
    6. Jean-Francois Gajewski & Bertrand Quere, 2001. "The information content of earnings and turnover announcements in France," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(4), pages 679-704.
    7. Hamadi Matoussi & Ben Hamadi Samia & Oussama Baklouti Mohamed, 2006. "Desagregation Des Accruals Discretionnaires Et Pertinence Du Benefice Comptable," Post-Print halshs-00558044, HAL.
    8. Simon Pariente, 2000. "Rendement boursier, création de valeur et données comptables:une étude sur le marché français," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 3(3), pages 125-153, September.
    9. Gaëlle Lenormand & Lionel Touchais, 2009. "Do IFRS improve the quality of financial information? A value relevance approach [Les IFRS améliorent-elles la qualité des informations financières ? Approche par la value relevance]," Post-Print hal-03125421, HAL.
    10. Inès Bouden, 2005. "L'Identification Des Incorporels Lors Des Regroupements D'Entreprises : Une Etude Exploratoire Du Marche Financier Français," Post-Print halshs-00581132, HAL.
    11. Melita CHARITOU & Petros LOIS & Adamos VLITTIS, 2010. "Do Capital Markets Value Earnings And Cash Flows Alike? International Empirical Evidence," Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Financial Management and Accounting Craiova, vol. 5(3(13)/Fal), pages 173-183.
    12. Serge Agbodjo & Isabelle Martinez, 2012. "La création de valeur actionnariale est-elle pertinente pour la prise de décision d'investissement ? Une étude empirique du SBF250 par secteurs d'activité," Post-Print hal-00935809, HAL.
    13. Dimitrios I. Maditinos & Željko Šević & Jelena Stankevičienė & Nikolaos Karakoltsidis, 2013. "Earnings response coefficients in the Greek market," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(2), pages 414-431, April.
    14. Ahsina, Khalifa & Taouab, Omar, 2017. "Y’a-t-il vraiment un besoin pour changer de referentiel comptable au Maroc? la prétendue value relevance des normes comptables IFRS [Is there really a need to change accounting references in Morocc," MPRA Paper 81397, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. repec:dau:papers:123456789/4142 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Jean-François Casta & Alioune Badara Mbengue, 2016. "De la pertinence informationnelle des chiffres comptables publiés par les sociétés cotées sur les Bourses d'Afrique de l'Ouest (B.R.V.M et Ghana Stock Exchange)," Post-Print hal-01902539, HAL.
    17. Fatma Ben Slama & Hamadi Matoussi & Adel Karaa, 2005. "Gouvernance D'Entreprise Et Pertinence Des Benefices Comptables: Une Etude D'Association," Post-Print halshs-00581124, HAL.
    18. Tayeb Saadi, 2007. "EVA Vs. résultat net : Quel contenu informationnel dans le contexte français ?," Post-Print halshs-00544950, HAL.
    19. Mariarosaria Agostino & Danilo Drago & Damiano Silipo, 2011. "The value relevance of IFRS in the European banking industry," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 437-457, April.
    20. Katerina Hellstrom, 2006. "The Value Relevance of Financial Accounting Information in a Transition Economy: The Case of the Czech Republic," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 325-349.

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