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The usefulness of earnings in explaining stock returns in an emerging market: the case of Cyprus

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  • Nikos Vafeas
  • Lenos Trigeorgis
  • Xenia Georgiou

Abstract

The paper presents evidence that earnings levels as well as changes in earnings are important in explaining stock returns in an emerging stock market. The study employs data on all listed firms in the Cyprus Stock Exchange over the ten-year period 1985-1994. Operating cash flows have no incremental information content beyond earnings. Earnings is more informative for larger firms consistent with the notion that accounting information by larger firms is perceived as being more reliable. Moreover, the earnings-returns relationship is not linear, being stronger for positive earnings levels and changes than for negative. Finally, the usefulness of earnings is statistically higher in the later half of the sample period. Overall, the results suggest that investors price earnings information in this emerging market.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikos Vafeas & Lenos Trigeorgis & Xenia Georgiou, 1998. "The usefulness of earnings in explaining stock returns in an emerging market: the case of Cyprus," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 105-124.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:7:y:1998:i:1:p:105-124
    DOI: 10.1080/096381898336600
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    1. William Forbes & George Giannopoulos, 2015. "Post-Earnings Announcement Drift in Greece," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(03), pages 1-20.
    2. Judy Day & Peter Taylor, 2010. "Trajectories of accounting and auditing development in EU enlargement: comparative analysis of ten new member states," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 14(4), pages 313-350, November.
    3. Malcolm Anderson, 1999. "Accounting History Publications 1998," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(3), pages 375-384.
    4. Pascal Dumontier & Bernard Raffournier, 2002. "Accounting and capital markets: a survey of the European evidence," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 119-151.
    5. Dimitrios Kousenidis & Christos Negakis & Iordanis Floropoulos, 2000. "Size and book-to-market factors in the relationship between average stock returns and average book returns: some evidence from an emerging market," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(2), pages 225-243.
    6. Dimitropoulos, Panagiotis E. & Asteriou, Dimitrios & Kousenidis, Dimitrios & Leventis, Stergios, 2013. "The impact of IFRS on accounting quality: Evidence from Greece," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 108-123.
    7. Claudia Diana Sabău-Popa & Luminița Rus & Dana Simona Gherai & Codruța Mare & Ioan Gheorghe Țara, 2021. "Study on Companies from the Energy Sector from the Perspective of Performance through the Operating Cash Flow," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-13, June.
    8. Mohamed Sellami, 2006. "Typologie des déterminants comptables de la valeur : Apports de l'approche économique de l'information dans la mesure de la valeur," Post-Print halshs-00558252, HAL.
    9. Charitou, Andreas & Vafeas, Nikos & Zachariades, Charis, 2005. "Irrational investor response to stock splits in an emerging market," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 133-149.
    10. Filip, Andrei & Raffournier, Bernard, 2010. "The value relevance of earnings in a transition economy: The case of Romania," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 77-103, March.
    11. Hasyyati Yusrina & Mukhtaruddin Mukhtaruddin & Luk Luk Fuadah & Zunaidah Sulong, 2017. "International Financial Reporting Standards Convergence and Quality of Accounting Information: Evidence from Indonesia," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(4), pages 433-447.

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