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Asymmetric Persistence and the Market Pricing of Accruals and Cash Flows

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  • Theodosia Konstantinidi
  • Arthur Kraft
  • Peter F. Pope

Abstract

type="main"> We investigate whether stock prices reflect the asymmetric persistence of accruals and cash flows resulting from conditional conservatism. Using the Mishkin ( ) test (MT), we provide further evidence on the earnings fixation explanation for the accrual anomaly. We also apply panel estimation techniques that significantly affect market efficiency inferences. Our results suggest that over our sample period (i) investors seem to partially anticipate asymmetric persistence in accruals and cash flows, (ii) the accrual anomaly originates in the mispricing of accruals in years of economic gains, even though the differential persistence between accruals and cash flows is greatest in years of economic losses, (iii) investors respond differently to accrual and cash flow surprises and, therefore, they do not naively fixate on earnings surprises, and (iv) after clustering standard errors in the MT by firm and year dimensions, there is no longer evidence of cash flow mispricing, while the statistical significance of accrual mispricing falls. All our findings contradict the earnings fixation explanation for the accrual anomaly. Our study has implications for understanding the accrual anomaly in relation to accrual dynamics, as well as for researchers interested in using the MT framework to test the rationality of investor expectations more generally.

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  • Theodosia Konstantinidi & Arthur Kraft & Peter F. Pope, 2016. "Asymmetric Persistence and the Market Pricing of Accruals and Cash Flows," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 52(1), pages 140-165, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:abacus:v:52:y:2016:i:1:p:140-165
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    2. Panos N. Patatoukas, 2016. "Asymmetrically Timely Loss Recognition and the Accrual Anomaly. Discussion of Konstantinidi et al," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 52(1), pages 166-175, March.
    3. Houdou Basse Mama & Rachidi Kotchoni, 2017. "Investor Relations' Quality and Mispricing," EconomiX Working Papers 2017-33, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    4. Vassilios‐Christos Naoum & Georgios A. Papanastasopoulos, 2021. "The implications of cash flows for future earnings and stock returns within profit and loss firms," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 2927-2945, April.
    5. Gonçalves, Tiago & Gaio, Cristina & Lélis, Carlos, 2020. "Accrual mispricing: Evidence from European sovereign debt crisis," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    6. Basse Mama, Houdou, 2018. "Nonlinear capital market payoffs to science-led innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6), pages 1084-1095.
    7. Sandip Dhole & Ferdinand A. Gul & Sagarika Mishra & Ananda M. Pal, 2021. "The joint information role of analysts’ cash flow and earnings forecasts," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(1), pages 499-541, March.
    8. Nguyen, Hang Thu & Alphonse, Pascal & Nguyen, Hiep Manh, 2022. "Financial distress and the accrual anomaly," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(3).

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