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The contractual and value relevance of reported earnings in a dividend-focused environment

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  • Denis Cormier
  • Michel Magnan
  • Bernard Morard

Abstract

This study investigates the relevance of reported earnings in the context of an institutional environment, i.e., Switzerland, in which investors focus on dividends. In conjunction with a dividend focus, the financial reporting environment faced by Swiss firms provides their managers with more accounting discretion than managers of Anglo-Saxon firms typically have. From a contractual perspective, dividendbased earnings management is expected since Swiss corporate law explicitly states that dividends, which must be voted on by stockholders, are to be based upon a firm's reported earnings. From a value perspective, thin trading conditions and a long-term investment horizon are expected to increase the importance of dividend payments and to influence the informativeness of reported earnings. Results indicate that Swiss managers do engage in dividend-based earnings management, that earnings quality signals are used by managers to voluntarily constrain their accounting choices and that the value relevance of earnings is conditional upon dividend payments.

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  • Denis Cormier & Michel Magnan & Bernard Morard, 2000. "The contractual and value relevance of reported earnings in a dividend-focused environment," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(3), pages 387-417.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:9:y:2000:i:3:p:387-417
    DOI: 10.1080/09638180020017131
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    8. Cormier, Denis & Martinez, Isabelle, 2006. "The association between management earnings forecasts, earnings management, and stock market valuation: Evidence from French IPOs," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 209-236.
    9. Christian Calmès & Denis Cormier & Francois Éric Racicot & Raymond Théoret, 2012. "Firms' Accruals and Tobin’s q," RePAd Working Paper Series UQO-DSA-wp032012, Département des sciences administratives, UQO.
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