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The effect of sales and collection disclosures on cash flow forecasting and income smoothing

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  • BALA G. DHARAN

Abstract

. Based on a model of sales and collection events of a firm, this paper analyzes the effect of different levels of disclosures about the two events on cash flow forecasting and income smoothing. A comparison of disclosure of credit sales from the sales accrual method and disclosure of cash collection from the cash collection (installment) method shows that when cash flows occur in a period subsequent to sales realization, the cash flow forecasts from earnings based on the sales accrual method are superior to forecasts from earnings based on cash collection. This is because the sales accrual method provides information on management's expectations about future cash flows. The analysis also shows that, for a similar reason, earnings based on the sales accrual method can be expected to be generally smoother than earnings based on the cash collection method. The model is also examined through a simulation study of a firm for a variety of parameter values. Résumé. Fondé sur un modèle des événements de vente et de recouvrement d'une société, cet article analyse l'effet de divers niveaux de divulgation de ces deux événements sur la prévision de trésorerie et le lissage des bénéfices. Une comparaison de la divulgation des ventes à crédit selon la méthode de comptabilité d'exercice et de la divulgation des recouvrements selon la méthode de la constatation des profits au prorata des encaissements, montre que lorsque les flux monétaires se produisent dans un exercice postérieur à la constatation des ventes, les prévisions de trésorerie fondées sur les résultats produits par la méthode de comptabilité d'exercice, sont supérieures aux prévisions fondées sur les résultats issus de la méthode de constatation du profit au prorata des encaissements. Ceci est attribuable au fait que la méthode de comptabilité d'exercice fournit de l'information sur les prévisions de la direction au sujet des flux monétaires futurs. L'analyse montre également, pour des raisons similaires, que les résultats produits par la méthode de comptabilité d'exercice seront probablement plus nivelés que les résultats générés par la méthode de constatation du profit au prorata des encaissements. Le modèle est en outre examiné par l'entremise d'une étude de simulation d'une société pour différentes valeurs attribuées aux paramètres.

Suggested Citation

  • Bala G. Dharan, 1987. "The effect of sales and collection disclosures on cash flow forecasting and income smoothing," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 3(2), pages 445-459, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:3:y:1987:i:2:p:445-459
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1911-3846.1987.tb00649.x
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    1. Ball, Ray & Watts, Ross, 1972. "Some Time Series Properties of Accounting Income," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 27(3), pages 663-681, June.
    2. Shiller, Robert J, 1981. "Do Stock Prices Move Too Much to be Justified by Subsequent Changes in Dividends?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(3), pages 421-436, June.
    3. Holthausen, Robert W. & Leftwich, Richard W., 1983. "The economic consequences of accounting choice implications of costly contracting and monitoring," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 77-117, April.
    4. Cushing, Be, 1969. "Empirical Study Of Changes In Accounting Policy," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(2), pages 196-203.
    5. Gonedes, Nicholas J, 1972. "Incoming-smoothing Behavior under Selected Stochastic Processes," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 45(4), pages 570-584, October.
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    2. Silhan, Peter A., 2014. "Income smoothing from a Census X-12 perspective," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 106-115.
    3. Adriana Cioca & Kassam Wehbe & Delia Popescu & Constanta Popescu, 2020. "The Main Drivers for Sustainable Decisions in a Family Business That Impact the Company’s Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-14, October.

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