IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jbfnac/v36y2009i3-4p297-326.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

US Managers' Use of ‘Pro Forma’ Adjustments to Meet Strategic Earnings Targets

Author

Listed:
  • Dirk E. Black
  • Theodore E. Christensen

Abstract

The practice of reporting manager‐adjusted ‘pro forma’ earnings numbers in quarterly earnings press releases has attracted considerable attention in recent years in the United States. Prior research suggests that while some managers report these adjusted numbers to better reflect core earnings, others may use these earnings adjustments to meet strategic earnings targets on a pro forma basis when they fall short based on GAAP reporting standards. Assuming the latter motivation could potentially mislead investors, the difficulty lies in distinguishing the ‘good guys’ from the ‘bad guys.’ Using hand‐collected pro forma earnings data, we investigate the extent to which different types of earnings adjustments affect the spread between pro forma earnings and GAAP earnings from continuing operations. Moreover, we investigate which types of adjustments managers use to meet strategic earnings targets. In addition to the exclusion of one‐time items like restructuring charges, the results indicate that managers often exclude recurring expenses such as depreciation, research and development, and stock‐based compensation to meet these strategic targets. The exclusion of recurring items is especially indicative of aggressive pro forma reporting. Finally, we find that firms that report adjusted earnings numbers only sporadically are more likely than firms that adjust earnings figures on a regular basis to use pro forma reporting to achieve strategic earnings targets by excluding recurring items.

Suggested Citation

  • Dirk E. Black & Theodore E. Christensen, 2009. "US Managers' Use of ‘Pro Forma’ Adjustments to Meet Strategic Earnings Targets," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3‐4), pages 297-326, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jbfnac:v:36:y:2009:i:3-4:p:297-326
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5957.2009.02128.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5957.2009.02128.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1468-5957.2009.02128.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wayne R. Landsman & Bruce L. Miller & Shu Yeh, 2007. "Implications of Components of Income Excluded from Pro Forma Earnings for Future Profitability and Equity Valuation," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3-4), pages 650-675.
    2. Gu, Zhaoyang & Chen, Ting, 2004. "Analysts' treatment of nonrecurring items in street earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 129-170, December.
    3. Jeffery S. Abarbanell & Reuven Lehavy, 2007. "Letting the “Tail Wag the Dog†: The Debate over GAAP versus Street Earnings Revisited," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(3), pages 675-723, September.
    4. Wayne R. Landsman & Bruce L. Miller & Shu Yeh, 2007. "Implications of Components of Income Excluded from Pro Forma Earnings for Future Profitability and Equity Valuation," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3‐4), pages 650-675, April.
    5. Mark T. Bradshaw & Richard G. Sloan, 2002. "GAAP versus The Street: An Empirical Assessment of Two Alternative Definitions of Earnings," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 41-66, March.
    6. Bhattacharya, Nilabhra & Black, Ervin L. & Christensen, Theodore E. & Larson, Chad R., 2003. "Assessing the relative informativeness and permanence of pro forma earnings and GAAP operating earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-3), pages 285-319, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Doyle, Jeffrey T. & Jennings, Jared N. & Soliman, Mark T., 2013. "Do managers define non-GAAP earnings to meet or beat analyst forecasts?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 40-56.
    2. Black, D.E. & Christensen, T.E., 2018. "Policy implications of research on non-GAAP reporting," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 1-7.
    3. Theodore E. Christensen & Hang Pei & Spencer R. Pierce & Liang Tan, 2019. "Non-GAAP reporting following debt covenant violations," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 629-664, June.
    4. Florian Meier, 2020. "The Age of Cheap Money and Passive Investing: Are Pro Forma Earnings Value Relevant?," Journal of Finance and Investment Analysis, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 9(2), pages 1-1.
    5. Claudia Arena & Simona Catuogno & Nicola Moscariello, 2021. "The unusual debate on non-GAAP reporting in the current standard practice. The lens of corporate governance," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(3), pages 655-684, September.
    6. Yuan Ji & James Potepa & Oded Rozenbaum, 2020. "The effect of ASU 2014–08 on the use of discontinued operations to manage earnings," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 1201-1229, December.
    7. Ting Zhang & So Yean Kwack & Yi Si & Gaoliang Tian, 2023. "Non‐GAAP earnings reporting following going‐concern opinions," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(3), pages 3217-3252, September.
    8. Carol Anilowski Cain & Kalin S. Kolev & Sarah McVay, 2020. "Detecting Opportunistic Special Items," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(5), pages 2099-2119, May.
    9. Kyung, Hangsoo & Lee, Hakyin & Marquardt, Carol, 2019. "The effect of voluntary clawback adoption on non-GAAP reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 175-201.
    10. Charitou, Andreas & Floropoulos, Nikolaos & Karamanou, Irene & Loizides, George, 2018. "Non-GAAP Earnings Disclosures on the Face of the Income Statement by UK Firms: The Effect on Market Liquidity," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 183-202.
    11. Jason V. Chen & Kurt H. Gee & Jed J. Neilson, 2021. "Disclosure Prominence and the Quality of Non‐GAAP Earnings," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(1), pages 163-213, March.
    12. Mariela Carvajal & David H. Lont & Tom Scott, 2022. "Non‐GAAP Earnings Disclosure Trends in New Zealand," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 32(1), pages 19-35, March.
    13. Steven Young, 2014. "The drivers, consequences and policy implications of non-GAAP earnings reporting," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 444-465, August.
    14. Ahmed M. Elnahas & Pankaj K. Jain & Thomas H. McInish, 2022. "Mixed‐signal stock splits," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(5-6), pages 934-962, May.
    15. Mark Brosnan & Keith Duncan & Tim Hasso & Janice Hollindale, 2023. "Non‐GAAP earnings and executive compensation: An experiment," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(4), pages 4375-4398, December.
    16. Bradshaw, Mark T. & Christensen, Theodore E. & Gee, Kurt H. & Whipple, Benjamin C., 2018. "Analysts’ GAAP earnings forecasts and their implications for accounting research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 46-66.
    17. Nilabhra Bhattacharya & Theodore E. Christensen & Qunfeng Liao & Bo Ouyang, 2022. "Can short sellers constrain aggressive non-GAAP reporting?," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 391-440, June.
    18. Chen, Xia & Jiang, Xuejun & Lu, Louise Yi & Yu, Yangxin, 2021. "Local political corruption and Firm's non-GAAP reporting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    19. Oded Rozenbaum, 2019. "EBITDA and Managers' Investment and Leverage Choices," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 36(1), pages 513-546, March.
    20. Cao Hoang Anh Le & Yaowen Shan & Stephen Taylor, 2020. "Executive Compensation and Financial Performance Measures: Evidence from Significant Financial Institutions," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 30(3), pages 159-177, September.
    21. Novia (Xi) Chen & Peng-Chia Chiu & Terry Shevlin & Jiani Wang, 2023. "Taxes in Non-GAAP Reporting: Evidence of Strategic Behavior in Selecting Tax Rates Applied to Exclusions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(5), pages 3100-3120, May.
    22. Chen, Han-Chung & Lee, Yen-Jung & Lo, Sheng-Yi & Yu, Yong, 2021. "Qualitative characteristics of non-GAAP disclosures and non-GAAP earnings quality," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Theodore E. Christensen & Enrique Gomez & Matthew Ma & Jing Pan, 2021. "Analysts’ role in shaping non-GAAP reporting: evidence from a natural experiment," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 172-217, March.
    2. Sascha B. Herr & Peter Lorson & Jochen Pilhofer, 2022. "Alternative Performance Measures: A Structured Literature Review of Research in Academic and Professional Journals," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 389-451, September.
    3. Qianyun Huang & Terrance R. Skantz, 2016. "The informativeness of pro forma and street earnings: an examination of information asymmetry around earnings announcements," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 198-250, March.
    4. Florian Meier, 2020. "The Age of Cheap Money and Passive Investing: Are Pro Forma Earnings Value Relevant?," Journal of Finance and Investment Analysis, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 9(2), pages 1-1.
    5. Bradshaw, Mark T. & Christensen, Theodore E. & Gee, Kurt H. & Whipple, Benjamin C., 2018. "Analysts’ GAAP earnings forecasts and their implications for accounting research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 46-66.
    6. Mark A. Clatworthy & Tuan Ho & Jude Mengzhu Zhu, 2022. "Disagreement about the past: An empirical assessment of bank analysts' GAAP and non‐GAAP earnings measures," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(3-4), pages 588-624, March.
    7. Greg Clinch & Ann Tarca & Marvin Wee, 2023. "Cross‐country diversity and non‐IFRS financial performance measures," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2473-2502, June.
    8. Aubert, François & Grudnitski, Gary, 2014. "The role of reconciliation quality in limiting mispricing of non-GAAP earnings announcements by EURO STOXX firms," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 154-167.
    9. Barth, Mary E. & Gow, Ian D. & Taylor, Daniel J., 2010. "Non-GAAP and Street Earnings: Evidence from SFAS 123R," Research Papers 2064, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    10. Dirk E. Black & Theodore E. Christensen, 2009. "US Managers' Use of 'Pro Forma' Adjustments to Meet Strategic Earnings Targets," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3-4), pages 297-326.
    11. Steven Young, 2014. "The drivers, consequences and policy implications of non-GAAP earnings reporting," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 444-465, August.
    12. Karola Bastini & Rainer Kasperzak, 2013. "Erkenntnisfortschritt in der Rechnungslegung durch experimentelle Forschung? — Diskussion methodischer Grundsatzfragen anhand der Entscheidungsnützlichkeit des Performance Reporting," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 65(7), pages 622-660, December.
    13. Claudia Arena & Simona Catuogno & Nicola Moscariello, 2021. "The unusual debate on non-GAAP reporting in the current standard practice. The lens of corporate governance," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(3), pages 655-684, September.
    14. Jeremiah W. Bentley & Theodore E. Christensen & Kurt H. Gee & Benjamin C. Whipple, 2018. "Disentangling Managers’ and Analysts’ Non‐GAAP Reporting," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 1039-1081, September.
    15. Edward J. Riedl & Suraj Srinivasan, 2007. "Signaling Firm Performance Through Financial Statement Presentation: An Analysis Using Special Items," Harvard Business School Working Papers 09-031, Harvard Business School.
    16. Jeffery S. Abarbanell & Reuven Lehavy, 2007. "Letting the “Tail Wag the Dog†: The Debate over GAAP versus Street Earnings Revisited," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(3), pages 675-723, September.
    17. Gu, Zhaoyang & Xue, Jian, 2008. "The superiority and disciplining role of independent analysts," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2-3), pages 289-316, August.
    18. Bond, David & Czernkowski, Robert & Lee, Yong-Suk & Loyeung, Anna, 2017. "Market reaction to non-GAAP earnings around SEC regulation," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 193-208.
    19. Zulfikar Ikhsan Pane & Roy Sembel & Yvonne Agustine, 2021. "Street earnings as a mediator of the effect of intellectual capital disclosure, customer value, and research development activities on firm value," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 25(1), pages 242-259, November.
    20. Novia (Xi) Chen & Peng-Chia Chiu & Terry Shevlin & Jiani Wang, 2023. "Taxes in Non-GAAP Reporting: Evidence of Strategic Behavior in Selecting Tax Rates Applied to Exclusions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(5), pages 3100-3120, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jbfnac:v:36:y:2009:i:3-4:p:297-326. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0306-686X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.