Empirical Studies in Financial Accounting

Abstract Various studies (wolk & et al, 2004, Beaver & Demski ,1979) indicate that changes in reported accounting earnings lead to changes in stock prices. Since current accounting earnings is useful in predicting future earnings , So the current earning due to the ability to predict future earnings and future dividends, have information content In such a structure, the accounting profit indirectly have an impact on the valuation of stocks. The purpose of this study is to compare the value relevance of the total amount operating profit and cash and non-cash components of earning of the listed companies on Tehran Stock Exchange .The meaning of the value relevance is the relation of accounting variables such as earnings and its components with the company's stock value. In order to achieve the objective we selected, 91 companies from the statistical population that had necessary information for the 5 years period of the research (2007-2011). To examine the research hypotheses, panel data has been employed. For the test of research model significance t and F statistics were used. The findings of the study indicate that the value relevance of cash and accrual components of earnings compared with the overall profit is higher. According to research findings, as well as the cash component of earnings than the accrual component of earnings is more associated with the value of the firm. In addition, the value relevance of current accruals is greater than the value of non- current accruals.

Abstract The purpose of this research is to study the effects of the accruals quality and the information relevance on the agency costs for the companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). Hence, an attempt will be made to answer the following question: “Is there a significant relationship between the accruals quality and the information relevance and agency costs?”. To find the answer, this research utilizes the operating expenses to sales ratios, asset turnover ratios, and Q-tobin’s ratios were employed as proxies for the agency costs. The statistical population of the study consists of 67 companies of the TSE during 2003 to 2010; and the multivariate regression is used. The results suggest that there is a reverse relationship between accruals quality, accruals quality that is adjusted according to performance and information relevance, and the agency costs criteria (i.e., operating expenses to sales ratios, asset turnover ratios, and Q-tobin’s ratios).

Abstract Conservatism is the asymmetries of approving earnings and costs. This asymmetric can be influential on financial performance of the firms which is reported in terms of figures of financial statements. The purpose of this study is the investigation of the relationship between accounting conservatism and financial efficiency scores as a comprehensive measure of financial performance. For this purpose, the variables of balance sheet conservatism, earnings conservatism and combined conservatism were examined along with financial efficiency scores. Based on 123 corporations from 2002 to 2011 and fixed effects model, results indicate that there is no relationship between balance sheet conservatism and financial efficiency scores, but the relationships between earnings and combined conservatism with financial efficiency scores are positive. In addition, companies have been categorized to two groups with high and low level financial efficiency scores, based on first and third quartiles of financial efficiency scores 10 years average. The results indicate that there is no significant difference between the groups with high and low scores in terms of earnings and combined conservatism.

Abstract The purpose of this research is to examine both the relationship between accounting conservatism and level of investment under the need or no need of financing conditions and the impact of ultimate ownership on this association. The statistical society of the present research contains 103 companies selecting from all companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange using removal method over the time span of 2006-2010. Combined data method with fixed effect has been used in order to test the research hypothesis. The result depicts that the association between conservatism and investment is significantly negative when a firm do not need external financing. Nonetheless, this association is significantly positive in companies which need external financing. Furthermore, we find that the relationship between conservatism and investment in the companies whose ultimate ownerships controller is governmental or semi governmental firms is significantly negative. Thus, when the agency problem is enhancing, conservatism acts as a mechanism to decrease this problem and engenders reduction in investment cost

Abstract In current business world, companies require suitable strategies for
better use of their resources and wealth to solve their economic
problems. For this goal, one way is development of investment. In
addition to development of investment, the efficiency of investment is
so important. Hence, this study examines the effect of financial
reporting quality and debt maturity on investment efficiency. for data
analysis and Hypothesis testing the multiple regressions models was
used .This research has been done in 104 listed companies in Tehran
Stock Exchange based on data contained in financial reports between
2007 – 2012. The results show that upper financial reporting quality
and lower debt maturity can improve investment efficiency .results
also show firms with higher (lower) use of short-term debt, exhibit
lower (higher) financial reporting quality effect on investment
efficiency. In other world, financial reporting quality and debt
maturity are mechanisms with some degree of substitution in
enhancing investment efficiency.

Abstract Decreasing interest conflicts between stockholders and executives is the
corporate governance’s role and this is accentuated when managers perceive
motivations to deviate from the advantage of stockholders. Corporate
governance is likely to diminish profit management while improving the
investors’ understanding of cash maintenance. This study aims at
recognizing relevance among real profit management and corporate
governance. To measure profit management, Recovery models (2006) and
Jenni (2010) and for measuring the relevance between cash maintenance and
profit management, modified models of Opler (1999) and Phama and Fringe
(1998) have been deployed in this study. Percentage of non-obligated
members of executive board (executive board independence) has been
utilized as the substantial feature of corporate governance. As for testing the
hypotheses, multi-variable linear regression model and integrated
generalized least squares method were used. Considering the limitations
imposed in selection, statistical sampling of the study includes 90 accepted
companies in Tehran Stock Exchange that have undergone research between
2008 and 2012. The findings indicate that there is a meaningful positive
relevance between real profit management and cash maintenance. Investors
decrease cash maintenance in companies with high real profit management
and compared to businesses with strong corporate governance, weaker ones
possess less evaluations of cash maintenance among those which perform
profit management in its high levels.

Abstract The purpose of this research is to examine both the relationship between accounting conservatism and level of investment under the need or no need of financing conditions and the impact of ultimate ownership on this association. The statistical society of the present research contains 103 companies selecting from all companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange using removal method over the time span of 2006-2010. Combined data method with fixed effect has been used in order to test the research hypothesis. The result depicts that the association between conservatism and investment is significantly negative when a firm do not need external financing. Nonetheless, this association is significantly positive in companies which need external financing. Furthermore, we find that the relationship between conservatism and investment in the companies whose ultimate ownerships controller is governmental or semi governmental firms is significantly negative. Thus, when the agency problem is enhancing, conservatism acts as a mechanism to decrease this problem and engenders reduction in investment cost.

Abstract The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between information asymmetry and mispricing of accruals in Tehran Exchange Market. hence, we hypothesize that there is a significant positive relationship between the level of information asymmetry and mispricing of accruals. we implement Mishkin test and classification of portfolios method to respectively investigate whether there is any mispricing of accruals and its relationship with information asymmetry. Furthermore, the indirect balance sheet approach and bid-ask spread have been utilized to measure respectively accruals and information asymmetry. Thus, information of 82 entities during the time span of 5 years between 2008 to 2012 have been analyzed to test our hypothesis. The results depicts that as the level of information asymmetry enhances, the difference between coefficients of predictions and evaluation of accruals in the Mishkin test increases. In other words, as the level of information asymmetry increases, the mispricing of accruals intensifies.