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Do IFRS provide better information about intangibles in Europe?

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  • Jean‐Michel Sahut
  • Sandrine Boulerne
  • Frédéric Teulon

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the information content of intangible assets under IAS/IFRS when compared to local GAAP for European listed companies. Design/methodology/approach - The paper employs multivariate regression models for a sample of 1,855 European listed firms in a six‐year period, from 2002 to 2004 in local GAAP and from 2005 to 2007 in IAS/IFRS to investigate the empirical relationships between market value of European firms and book value of their intangible assets. Findings - The results suggest that the book value of other intangible assets of European listed firms is higher under IFRS than local GAAP and has more informative value for explaining the price of the share and stock market returns. European investors, however, consider the financial information conveyed by capitalized goodwill to be less relevant under IFRS than with local GAAP. Thus, identified intangible assets capitalized on European company balance sheets provide more value‐relevant information for shareholders than unidentified intangible assets that have been transferred into goodwill, with the exception of Italian and Finnish investors. Originality/value - The paper adds to the existing literature on IFRS by documenting the association between the market value of European listed firms and the book value of their goodwill and other intangibles assets. The study complements prior studies by demonstrating that country differences persist despite the use of common accounting standards and that legal and regulatory country characteristics as well as market forces could still have a significant impact on the value relevance of accounting data.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean‐Michel Sahut & Sandrine Boulerne & Frédéric Teulon, 2011. "Do IFRS provide better information about intangibles in Europe?," Review of Accounting and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(3), pages 267-290, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:rafpps:v:10:y:2011:i:3:p:267-290
    DOI: 10.1108/14757701111155798
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    2. Yasean A. Tahat & Ahmed H. Ahmed & Mohammad M. Alhadab, 2018. "The impact of intangibles on firms’ financial and market performance: UK evidence," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 50(4), pages 1147-1168, May.
    3. Braune, Eric & Sahut, Jean-Michel & Teulon, Fréderic, 2020. "Intangible capital, governance and financial performance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    4. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-517 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-506 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Atanasov, Atanas, 2019. "Репутацията Като Обект На Счетоводството: Признаване, Оценяване, Оповестяване [Goodwill as an accounting object: initial recognition, measurement, disclosure]," MPRA Paper 97938, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Patrizia Gazzola & Stefano Amelio & Fragkoulis Papagiannis & Elena-Madalina Vatamanescu, 2019. "Financial Reporting in European Football Teams: A Disclosure Analysis of Player Registrations," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 9(4), pages 182-206, October.
    8. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-537 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-501 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Cristina-Ionela Fădur & Marilena Mironiuc, 2012. "The Paradox Of Goodwill: Why Do We Pay More Than The Fair Value? Study On Romanian Companies," Anale. Seria Stiinte Economice. Timisoara, Faculty of Economics, Tibiscus University in Timisoara, vol. 0, pages 213-220, November.
    11. Aghdas Zargar & Zaleha Abdul Shukor, 2016. "The Role of Managerial Ownership in the Association between Goodwilland Firm Value," International Journal of Business and Economic Affairs (IJBEA), Sana N. Maswadeh, vol. 1(1), pages 47-59.
    12. Hirsch, Julia & Walz, Uwe, 2019. "The financing dynamics of newly founded firms," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 261-272.
    13. Catalina Gorgan & Vasile Gorgan, 2014. "Study On Disclosure Level Of Companies Listed On The Bucharest Stock Exchange In Accordance With International Financial Reporting Standards: The Case Of Intangible Assets," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 2, pages 104-115, April.
    14. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-573 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-532 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. George Emmanuel Iatridis & Daniel Senftlechner, 2014. "An Empirical Investigation of Goodwill in Austria: Evidence on Management Change and Cost of Capital," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 24(2), pages 171-181, June.
    17. Walid Saleh, 2014. "Explaining the Cross-Sectional Patterns of UK Expected Stock Returns: The Effect of Intangibles," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 5(2), pages 160-170, April.
    18. d'Arcy, Anne & Tarca, Ann, 2018. "Reviewing IFRS Goodwill Accounting Research: Implementation Effects and Cross-Country Differences," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 203-226.
    19. Jean-michel Sahut & Medhi Mili & Sana Ben Tekaya & Frédéric Teulon, 2016. "Financial Impacts and antecedents of CSR: a PLS Path Modelling Approach," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(2), pages 736-751.

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