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Audit process, private information, and insider trading

Author

Listed:
  • Salman Arif

    (University of Minnesota)

  • John D. Kepler

    (Stanford University)

  • Joseph Schroeder

    (Indiana University)

  • Daniel Taylor

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

While the shareholder benefits of audits are well documented, evidence on whether audits can facilitate opportunistic behavior by corporate insiders is scarce. In this paper, we examine whether the audit process facilitates one particular form of opportunism: informed trading by corporate insiders. We focus our analysis on insider trading around the audit report date. We find an increase in trading around the audit report date and that the increase is abnormally large for firms that subsequently report modified opinions. The abnormal increase in trading is concentrated among officers and non-audit committee independent directors, and most pronounced in first-time modified opinions and modified opinions in years where financial results are subsequently restated. These trades are highly opportunistic: they predict restatements, and as a consequence, we show they avoid significant losses. Collectively, our findings provide novel evidence that insiders appear to exploit private information about the audit process––a process ostensibly designed to protect shareholders––for opportunistic gain.

Suggested Citation

  • Salman Arif & John D. Kepler & Joseph Schroeder & Daniel Taylor, 2022. "Audit process, private information, and insider trading," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 1125-1156, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reaccs:v:27:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11142-022-09689-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11142-022-09689-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Armstrong, Christopher & Kepler, John D. & Samuels, Delphine & Taylor, Daniel, 2022. "Causality redux: The evolution of empirical methods in accounting research and the growth of quasi-experiments," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2).
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    3. Huang, Wan & Bai, Yufan & Luo, Hong, 2024. "Customer identity concealing and insider selling profitability: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Audit opinions; Audit process; Audit report; Private information; Insider trading; Opportunism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • K31 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Labor Law
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects

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