IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/euract/v20y2011i4p669-692.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Information Content of Earnings Components: Evidence from the Chinese Stock Market

Author

Listed:
  • Gongmeng Chen
  • Michael Firth
  • Daniel Ning Gao

Abstract

China's listed firms report substantial non-operating revenues and expenses. We argue that these non-core earnings should have different properties and different valuation implications than operating or core earnings. Furthermore, the different types of firm ownership may have differential impacts on the information content of earnings components. Based on data from 1996 to 2008, we find that core earnings are more persistent than non-core earnings. Because of this, core earnings have a greater association with contemporaneous stock returns. However, the stock market does not fully incorporate all the information in earnings; we find that core earnings are undervalued and non-core earnings are overvalued. This effect is much reduced for privately controlled listed firms. We develop an investment trading strategy to exploit these market inefficiencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Gongmeng Chen & Michael Firth & Daniel Ning Gao, 2011. "The Information Content of Earnings Components: Evidence from the Chinese Stock Market," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 669-692, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:20:y:2011:i:4:p:669-692
    DOI: 10.1080/09638180.2011.599929
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/09638180.2011.599929
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/09638180.2011.599929?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bernard, Victor L. & Thomas, Jacob K., 1990. "Evidence that stock prices do not fully reflect the implications of current earnings for future earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 305-340, December.
    2. Frederic S. Mishkin, 1983. "A Rational Expectations Approach to Macroeconometrics: Testing Policy Ineffectiveness and Efficient-Markets Models," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number mish83-1.
    3. Kothari, S. P., 2001. "Capital markets research in accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 105-231, September.
    4. Chen, Gongmeng & Firth, Michael & Rui, Oliver, 2006. "Have China's enterprise reforms led to improved efficiency and profitability?," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 82-109, March.
    5. Don Hermann & Tatsuo Inoue & Wayne B. Thomas, 2001. "The Relation Between Incremental Subsidiary Earnings and Future Stock Returns in Japan," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(9‐10), pages 1115-1139, November.
    6. Greg Clinch, 2005. "Discussion of “Market Consequences of Earnings Management in Response to Security Regulations in China†," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(1), pages 141-143, March.
    7. Patricia M. Dechow & Scott A. Richardson & Richard G. Sloan, 2008. "The Persistence and Pricing of the Cash Component of Earnings," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3), pages 537-566, June.
    8. Elliott, JA & Hanna, JD, 1996. "Repeated accounting write-offs and the information content of earnings," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34, pages 135-155.
    9. Leuz, Christian & Nanda, Dhananjay & Wysocki, Peter D., 2003. "Earnings management and investor protection: an international comparison," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 505-527, September.
    10. Arthur Kraft & Andrew J. Leone & Charles E. Wasley, 2007. "Regression‐Based Tests of the Market Pricing of Accounting Numbers: The Mishkin Test and Ordinary Least Squares," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(5), pages 1081-1114, December.
    11. Thomas, Wayne B., 1999. "A test of the market's mispricing of domestic and foreign earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 243-267, December.
    12. Ball, Ray & Kothari, S. P. & Robin, Ashok, 2000. "Corrigendum to "The effect of international institutional factors on properties of accounting earnings"; [Journal of Accounting and Economics 29 (2000) 1-51]," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 241-241, October.
    13. Frederic S. Mishkin, 1983. "Introduction to "A Rational Expectations Approach to Macroeconometrics: Testing Policy Ineffectiveness and Efficient-Markets Models"," NBER Chapters, in: A Rational Expectations Approach to Macroeconometrics: Testing Policy Ineffectiveness and Efficient-Markets Models, pages 1-6, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Tang, Tanya & Firth, Michael, 2011. "Can book-tax differences capture earnings management and tax Management? Empirical evidence from China," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 175-204, June.
    15. David Burgstahler & James Jiambalvo & Terry Shevlin, 2002. "Do Stock Prices Fully Reflect the Implications of Special Items for Future Earnings?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(3), pages 585-612, June.
    16. Firth, Michael & Lin, Chen & Zou, Hong, 2010. "Friend or Foe? The Role of State and Mutual Fund Ownership in the Split Share Structure Reform in China," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(3), pages 685-706, June.
    17. Chen, Gongmeng & Firth, Michael & Xu, Liping, 2009. "Does the type of ownership control matter? Evidence from China's listed companies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 171-181, January.
    18. Ball, Ray & Kothari, S. P. & Robin, Ashok, 2000. "The effect of international institutional factors on properties of accounting earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-51, February.
    19. Francis, J & Hanna, JD & Vincent, L, 1996. "Causes and effects of discretionary asset write-offs," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34, pages 117-134.
    20. In†Mu Haw & Daqing Qi & Donghui Wu & Woody Wu, 2005. "Market Consequences of Earnings Management in Response to Security Regulations in China," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(1), pages 95-140, March.
    21. Haw, In-Mu & Qi, Daqing & Wu, Woody, 2001. "The nature of information in accruals and cash flows in an emerging capital market: The case of China," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 391-406, 012.
    22. Fama, Eugene F & French, Kenneth R, 1996. "Multifactor Explanations of Asset Pricing Anomalies," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(1), pages 55-84, March.
    23. Don Hermann & Tatsuo Inoue & Wayne B. Thomas, 2001. "The Relation Between Incremental Subsidiary Earnings and Future Stock Returns in Japan," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(9‐10), pages 1115-1139, November.
    24. Don Hermann & Tatsuo Inoue & Wayne B. Thomas, 2001. "The Relation Between Incremental Subsidiary Earnings and Future Stock Returns in Japan," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(9&10), pages 1115-1139.
    25. Poon, Winnie P. H. & Firth, Michael & Fung, Hung-Gay, 1998. "Asset pricing in segmented capital markets: Preliminary evidence from China-domiciled companies," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 6(3-4), pages 307-319, August.
    26. Firth, Michael & Fung, Peter M.Y. & Rui, Oliver M., 2007. "Ownership, two-tier board structure, and the informativeness of earnings - Evidence from China," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 463-496.
    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. Lu, Hsueh-Tien, 2018. "Voluntary disclosure and the pricing of earnings components," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 64-73.
    2. Veltri, Stefania & Ferraro, Olga, 2018. "Does other comprehensive income matter in credit-oriented systems? Analyzing the Italian context," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 18-31.
    3. Schiemann, Frank & Guenther, Thomas, 2013. "Earnings Predictability, Value Relevance, and Employee Expenses," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 149-172.
    4. Surendranath Jory & Thanh Ngo & Hongxia Wang, 2021. "Non‐operating earnings and firm risk," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(1), pages 95-123, January.

    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. Lu, Hsueh-Tien, 2018. "Voluntary disclosure and the pricing of earnings components," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 64-73.
    2. Venter, Elmar R. & Cahan, Steven F. & Emanuel, David, 2013. "Mandatory Earnings Disaggregation and the Persistence and Pricing of Earnings Components," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 26-53.
    3. Chen, Shimin & Wang, Yuetang, 2004. "Evidence from China on the value relevance of operating income vs. below-the-line items," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 339-364.
    4. Thomas J. Lopez & Craig A. Sisneros & Trevor Sorensen, 2020. "The market pricing of negative special items through time: an unintended consequence of regulation change?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 753-777, February.
    5. Ole‐Kristian Hope & Tony Kang & Wayne B. Thomas & Florin Vasvari, 2008. "Pricing and Mispricing Effects of SFAS 131," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(3‐4), pages 281-306, April.
    6. Dechow, Patricia & Ge, Weili & Schrand, Catherine, 2010. "Understanding earnings quality: A review of the proxies, their determinants and their consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 344-401, December.
    7. Iatridis, George, 2010. "International Financial Reporting Standards and the quality of financial statement information," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 193-204, June.
    8. Kothari, S.P. & Ramanna, Karthik & Skinner, Douglas J., 2010. "Implications for GAAP from an analysis of positive research in accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 246-286, December.
    9. Habib, Ahsan, 2008. "The role of accruals and cash flows in explaining security returns: Evidence from New Zealand," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 51-66.
    10. Tadeusz Dudycz & Jadwiga Praźników, 2020. "Does the Mark-to-Model Fair Value Measure Make Assets Impairment Noisy?: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-24, February.
    11. Lewellen, Jonathan, 2010. "Accounting anomalies and fundamental analysis: An alternative view," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 455-466, December.
    12. Michael Firth & Kailong (Philip) Wang & Sonia ML Wong, 2015. "Corporate Transparency and the Impact of Investor Sentiment on Stock Prices," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(7), pages 1630-1647, July.
    13. Peter M. Johnson & Thomas J. Lopez & Trevor L. Sorensen, 2021. "Did SFAS 141/142 improve the market’s understanding of net assets, goodwill, or other intangible assets?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 891-915, April.
    14. Edward J. Riedl & Estelle Y. Sun & Guannan Wang, 2021. "Sentiment, Loss Firms, and Investor Expectations of Future Earnings," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(1), pages 518-544, March.
    15. Gus De Franco & S.P. Kothari & Rodrigo S. Verdi, 2011. "The Benefits of Financial Statement Comparability," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(4), pages 895-931, September.
    16. Peter F. Pope, 2003. "Discussion of Disclosure Practices, Enforcement of Accounting Standards, and Analysts' Forecast Accuracy: An International Study," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 273-283, May.
    17. Liu, Xiang & Saidi, Reza & Bazaz, Mohammad, 2014. "Institutional incentives and earnings quality: The influence of government ownership in China," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 248-261.
    18. Ming‐Chang Wang & Yu‐Jia Ding, 2021. "Does the quarterly accrual anomaly exist in Taiwan's stock market? Evidence from Manager's earnings management," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(3), pages 688-701, April.
    19. William D. Brown, Jr & Ray J. Pfeiffer, Jr, 2008. "Do Investors Under‐React to Information in Analysts' Earnings Forecasts?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(7‐8), pages 889-911, September.
    20. Kothari, S. P., 2001. "Capital markets research in accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 105-231, September.

    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:taf:euract:v:20:y:2011:i:4:p:669-692. 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: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/REAR20 .

    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.