Managing Earnings Using Classification Shifting: Evidence from Quarterly Special Items

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Fan, Yun; Barua, Abhijit; Cready, William M.; Thomas, Wayne B.
• 署名单位: University of Oklahoma System; University of Oklahoma - Norman; State University System of Florida; Florida International University; University of Texas System; University of Texas Dallas
• 刊物名称: ACCOUNTING REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0001-4826
• DOI: 10.2308/accr.2010.85.4.1303
• 发表日期: 2010
• 页码: 1303-1323
• 关键词: prices fully reflect; book value; management; INFORMATION; valuation; equity; accruals; rewards; STREET; income

摘要

McVay (2006) concludes that managers opportunistically shift core expenses to special items to inflate current core earnings, resulting in a positive relation between unexpected core earnings and income-decreasing special items. However, she further notes that this relation disappears when contemporaneous accruals are dropped from the core earnings expectations model. McVay (2006) calls for research to improve the core earnings expectations model and to provide additional cross-sectional tests of classification shifting. Using a core earnings expectations model that is not dependent on accrual special items, we show that classification shifting is more likely in the fourth quarter than in interim quarters. We also find more evidence of classification shifting when the ability of managers to manipulate accruals appears to be constrained and in meeting a range of earnings benchmarks. Overall, our evidence provides broad support for McVay's (2006) conclusion that managers engage in classification shifting. Our study also sheds new understanding of the conditions under which managers are more likely to employ classification shifting.