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The contractual and value relevance of reported earnings in a dividend-focused environment

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  • Denis Cormier
  • Michel Magnan
  • Bernard Morard

Abstract

This study investigates the relevance of reported earnings in the context of an institutional environment, i.e., Switzerland, in which investors focus on dividends. In conjunction with a dividend focus, the financial reporting environment faced by Swiss firms provides their managers with more accounting discretion than managers of Anglo-Saxon firms typically have. From a contractual perspective, dividendbased earnings management is expected since Swiss corporate law explicitly states that dividends, which must be voted on by stockholders, are to be based upon a firm's reported earnings. From a value perspective, thin trading conditions and a long-term investment horizon are expected to increase the importance of dividend payments and to influence the informativeness of reported earnings. Results indicate that Swiss managers do engage in dividend-based earnings management, that earnings quality signals are used by managers to voluntarily constrain their accounting choices and that the value relevance of earnings is conditional upon dividend payments.

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  • Denis Cormier & Michel Magnan & Bernard Morard, 2000. "The contractual and value relevance of reported earnings in a dividend-focused environment," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(3), pages 387-417.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:9:y:2000:i:3:p:387-417
    DOI: 10.1080/09638180020017131
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    3. 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.
    4. A. Mendes & R. L. Cardoso & P. C. Mário & A. L. Martinez & F. R. Ferreira, 2014. "Insolvency Prediction In The Presence Of Data Inconsistencies," Intelligent Systems in Accounting, Finance and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(3), pages 155-167, July.
    5. 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.
    6. Chowdhury, Abu & Mollah, Sabur & Al Farooque, Omar, 2018. "Insider-trading, discretionary accruals and information asymmetry," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 341-363.
    7. 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.
    8. Emett, Scott A. & Nelson, Mark W., 2015. "Discussion of “The effect of alternative accounting measurement bases on investors’ assessments of managers’ stewardship”," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 115-118.
    9. Hanen Khemakhem & Hédi Turki, 2007. "L'Information Environnementale Et La Prise De Décision D'Investissement; Étude Empirique Dans Le Cadre D'Un Marché Émergent," Post-Print halshs-00534757, HAL.
    10. Cormier, Denis & Martinez, Isabelle, 2006. "The association between management earnings forecasts, earnings management, and stock market valuation: Evidence from French IPOs," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 209-236.
    11. Christian Calmès & Denis Cormier & Francois Éric Racicot & Raymond Théoret, 2012. "Firms' Accruals and Tobin’s q," RePAd Working Paper Series UQO-DSA-wp032012, Département des sciences administratives, UQO.

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