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Voluntary Interim Disclosure by Early 20th Century NYSE Industrials

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  • KUMAR SIVAKUMAR
  • GREGORY WAYMIRE

Abstract

. This paper examines stock market behavior associated with interim earnings and marketing†production disclosures by NYSE industrial corporations during 1905–10. Mean stock price changes are examined to assess whether these firms were more likely to disclose favorable information. We also examine the magnitude of price changes and trading volume to provide evidence on the credibility of these disclosures as perceived by investors. The sample and time period we examine enable us to evaluate the stock market effects of interim disclosures in a discretionary disclosure environment. We find no evidence that these firms were more likely to selectively disclose favorable interim information based on contemporaneous stock price changes. Also, no significant differences are detected in the incidence of interim disclosure before dividend or annual earnings increases compared to dividend cuts/omissions or annual earnings declines. We also document increased trading volume in the announcement week and prior weeks, but significant price changes are restricted to the preannouncement period. These results are driven by firms that do not frequently disclose interim information, and these firms' disclosures are frequently accompanied by concurrent news items (in particular, new financings). Price and volume results are weakly sensitive to the exclusion of cases with concurrent news items. Collectively, our results suggest no systematic tendency to disclose favorable information and managerial disclosures were at least partially credible in the early 20th century disclosure environment. Résumé. Les auteurs examinent la réaction du marché des valeurs mobilières à la publication d'information périodique relative aux bénéfices ainsi qu'à la production et au marketing, par les sociétés industrielles dont les titres étaient inscrits à la Bourse de New York durant la période 1905–1910 et s'intéressent aux variations du cours moyen des titres, afin d'évaluer si ces sociétés étaient davantage enclines à publier de l'information favorable. Ils examinent également l'ampleur des variations du cours des titres et du volume des opérations afin d'établir comment les investisseurs percevaient la crédibilité de l'information publiée. Les variations du cours des titres observées à l'époque ne permettent pas de conclure que ces sociétés étaient davantage enclines à sélectionner l'information périodique la plus favorable, et les auteurs ne détectent pas non plus de différences significatives dans les conséquences de la publication d'information périodique préalablement à des hausses de dividendes ou de bénéfices annuels, par rapport à des réductions ou des omissions de dividendes ou des diminutions des bénéfices annuels. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats portent à croire qu'il n'y a pas de tendance systématique à la publication d'information favorable, et que l'information publiée par la direction est au moins en partie crédible dans le contexte du début du XXe siècle.

Suggested Citation

  • Kumar Sivakumar & Gregory Waymire, 1994. "Voluntary Interim Disclosure by Early 20th Century NYSE Industrials," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(2), pages 673-698, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:10:y:1994:i:2:p:673-698
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1911-3846.1994.tb00410.x
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    Cited by:

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    2. Thomas Schleicher & Martin Walker, 2015. "Are interim management statements redundant?," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(2), pages 229-255, February.
    3. Ashley Gangloff & Karen Schnatterly & Neal M. Snow & Patrick Wheeler & James Whitworth, 2023. "The Role Of Voluntarily Disclosed Information On Crowdfunding Success: Evidence From Kickstarter," Accounting & Taxation, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 15(2), pages 31-54.
    4. Oliver Binz & John R. Graham, 2022. "The Information Content of Corporate Earnings: Evidence from the Securities Exchange Act of 1934," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 1379-1418, September.
    5. John Donovan, 2021. "Financial Reporting and Entrepreneurial Finance: Evidence from Equity Crowdfunding," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(11), pages 7214-7237, November.
    6. Carlos Alves & F. Teixeira Dos Santos, 2008. "Do First and Third Quarter Unaudited Financial Reports Matter? The Portuguese Case," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 361-392.
    7. Price, Renee, 1999. "Voluntry earnings disclosures in Uniform franchise offering circulars," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 391-423, December.
    8. Yan Li & Cungang Li & Yijun Gao, 2020. "Voluntary disclosures and peer-to-peer lending decisions: Evidence from the repeated game," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-26, December.
    9. Atif Ellahie & Zachary Kaplan, 2021. "Show Me the Money! Dividend Policy in Countries with Weak Institutions," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(2), pages 613-655, May.
    10. Ashiq Ali & Kelsey D. Wei & Yibin Zhou, 2011. "Insider Trading and Option Grant Timing in Response to Fire Sales (and Purchases) of Stocks by Mutual Funds," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(3), pages 595-632, June.
    11. Sánchez-Ballesta, Juan Pedro & Lloréns, Mercedes Bernal, 2010. "Monitoring, reputation and accountability in issuing banks in mid-nineteenth-century Spain," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 403-419, October.
    12. Barton, Jan & Waymire, Gregory, 2004. "Investor protection under unregulated financial reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 65-116, December.

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