Adoção do IFRS no Brasil: um terreno fértil para pesquisa sobre gerenciamento de resultados

We highlight aspects of the Brazilian operating and reporting environment that have led to ample opportunities for researchers to examine the topic of earnings management in financial reporting. In particular, we discuss the potential for research since Brazil has adopted a financial reporting system (IFRS) to replace its tax compliance system. Within that framework, we consider the role of other aspects of Brazil’s environment, including the recent influx of foreign investment, the ability to choose corporate structure, and the implications of inflation on the incentives and opportunities for earnings management. As a guideline to researchers in Brazil, we have also provided a discussion of the applicability of testing those earnings properties most often tested in relation to earnings management, paying particular attention to issues that would be of interest beyond Brazil’s borders.Esta pesquisa investiga aspectos do ambiente econômico em que são elaborados relatórios financeiros e contábeis, favoráveis ao estudo do gerenciamento de resultados. Em particular, o estudo discute o potencial de investigação acadêmica desse tópico no Brasil, país que adotou recentemente o IFRS, sistema internacional de relatórios financeiros, para substituir seu atual modelo de cumprimento das obrigações fiscais. Dentro desse quadro, foi considerado o papel de outras características do ambiente econômico brasileiro, como a atratividade recente de investimentos estrangeiros, a capacidade de escolha da estrutura societária e as implicações da inflação sobre os incentivos e sobre as oportunidades para o gerenciamento de resultados. Como orientação para pesquisadores no Brasil, este estudo discute a aplicabilidade do teste das propriedades do gerenciamento e dos ganhos vinculados a essa prática, com especial atenção para as questões de interesse para além das fronteiras do Brasil

The Effects of Fair Value on the Matching of Revenues and Expenses: The Case of Asset Revaluations

Researchers and practitioners have expressed concern that matching has declined over time, as evidenced by a decreasing association between revenues and expenses. They attribute this decline to the shift in financial reporting from a revenue–expense view that emphasizes matching to an asset–liability view that emphasizes the measurement of economic resources that incorporates more fair values. When revenues rise with inflation but the expenses remain tied to historical costs, the two streams tend to diverge. We hypothesize that upwardly revaluing the long-lived fixed operating assets resets the expense stream; thus, changes in revenues will be more closely associated with changes in expenses for firms that revalue than firms that do not upwardly revalue. Based on a sample of United Kingdom firms, we find evidence supporting our expectations, particularly in those higher inflationary industries

The Commitment to Income-Decreasing Accounting Choices as a Credible Signal to Reducing Information Asymmetry: The Case of Asset Revaluations

Bagnoli and Watts (2005) proposed that a manager could reduce information asymmetry by choosing an income-decreasing accounting choice that signals the firm's relatively good future prospects. A limitation in testing this theory is that most income-decreasing accounting choices over time reverse such that aggregated earnings would be the same, regardless of the choice. One income-decreasing accounting choice that never reverses is the choice of upward asset revaluation, where the resulting gains are recognized through other comprehensive income and reduce future earnings by increasing future depreciation expense. In the United Kingdom, prior to FRS15, firms had the option to upwardly revalue on a one-time basis. FRS15, and subsequently International Financial Reporting Standards, however, require those firms that upwardly revalue precommit to revalue on a consistent basis. This precommitment sacrifices future reporting discretion, which, according to the aforementioned study, serves as a costly signal of a firm's relatively good future prospects that reduces information asymmetry. The choice not to upwardly revalue, therefore, serves as a signal of a firm's relatively poor future prospects and also reduces information asymmetry, but this choice does not require precommitment such that the reduction in information asymmetry would be less than the choice to precommit to upward revaluations. Using a propensity-score matched-pair design on a sample of United Kingdom firms to test our predictions during the period requiring precommitment, we find lower forecast dispersion, lower return volatility, and a lower cost of capital for firms that precommit to upward asset revaluations, relative to those firms that choose not to upwardly revalue their operating assets

The Commitment to Income-Decreasing Accounting Choices as a Credible Signal to Reducing Information Asymmetry: The Case of Asset Revaluations

Bagnoli and Watts (2005) proposed that a manager could reduce information asymmetry by choosing an income-decreasing accounting choice that signals the firm's relatively good future prospects. A limitation in testing this theory is that most income-decreasing accounting choices over time reverse such that aggregated earnings would be the same, regardless of the choice. One income-decreasing accounting choice that never reverses is the choice of upward asset revaluation, where the resulting gains are recognized through other comprehensive income and reduce future earnings by increasing future depreciation expense. In the United Kingdom, prior to FRS15, firms had the option to upwardly revalue on a one-time basis. FRS15, and subsequently International Financial Reporting Standards, however, require those firms that upwardly revalue precommit to revalue on a consistent basis. This precommitment sacrifices future reporting discretion, which, according to the aforementioned study, serves as a costly signal of a firm's relatively good future prospects that reduces information asymmetry. The choice not to upwardly revalue, therefore, serves as a signal of a firm's relatively poor future prospects and also reduces information asymmetry, but this choice does not require precommitment such that the reduction in information asymmetry would be less than the choice to precommit to upward revaluations. Using a propensity-score matched-pair design on a sample of United Kingdom firms to test our predictions during the period requiring precommitment, we find lower forecast dispersion, lower return volatility, and a lower cost of capital for firms that precommit to upward asset revaluations, relative to those firms that choose not to upwardly revalue their operating assets