Market Valuation of Accounting Earnings Review of Evidence and Methodological Issues
Market Valuation of Accounting Earnings Review of Evidence and Methodological Issues
Market Valuation of Accounting Earnings Review of Evidence and Methodological Issues
+
=
t
t t t
t
P
d P P
R
Where,
, represents the abnormal
share return
Earnings (E) are normally scaled by total assets or
market value at the beginning of the year (Beisland, 2009).
The review of existing evidence suggests that the
returns model and the price model differ in the following
ways. The returns model reflects both earnings surprise and
change in the expectation of future earnings as a fraction of
initial price; while the price model reflects only the
expected future earnings (Ye, 2009).
Studies that have used both price model and
returns model on the same sample have reported
inconsistent and rather confusing results. These
inconsistencies are associated with the poor econometric
properties of these models, that is, scale effect and their
estimation of value relevance as measured by the earnings
response coefficients and adjusted R-square.
Harris, Lang and Moller (1994) compare the value
relevance of accounting data for the US and the German
firms. They report that the R
2
6
Its not the intention of this study to derive the price and returns model.
The expressions in this study are only indicative otherwise see Olhson
(1995), Ota (2001) for the detailed derivation of the price model and
returns model.
for German firms (7%) using
the returns model is comparable to that of U.S firms (7%).
However, the R
2
obtained for German firms (14%) using the
price model is less than half that for the U.S firms (34%).
Similarly, Francis and Schipper (1999) with U.S firms, Lev
and Zarowin (1999) with the U.S firms and Ota (2001) with
the J apanese firms report significant differences in the R
2
for return models and the price models. In these studies the
price models exhibited larger R
2
compared to the returns
models. Ota (2001) observes that these findings give the
impression that accounting data is useful in equity valuation
(using price models) and accounting information is of less
value to the stock market ( using returns model).
However, Kothari and Shanken (2003) argue that,
it is meaningless to compare R square across different data
sets, such as data from different years or different countries.
They argue that a data set for homogenous firms with high
quality accounting may produce a much lower R
In order to make a correction to the econometric
properties of R
square
compared to a data set in which accounting is of low quality
but firms are heterogeneous.
square, Brown et al. (1999) suggests
adjusting for the variance of the regression variables. While
Chang (1998) suggests the use of the mean squares of
logarithm ratio of predicted price to price. And Gu (2001)
7
suggests using error variance. In addition, Chang (1998)
argues that R square is unrealistic and difficult to interpret
due to heteroscedasticity. Brown et al. (1999)
8
and Gu
(2001) argue that, the problem is due to scaling not
heteroscedasticity and that R
Ye (2009), suggests that, the price model needs
adjustment for scaling variable as firms differ in size. He
argues that firm size is correlated with many variables,
omitting the size variable in regression analysis may lead to
serious bias in model estimation. In addition, size causes
heteroscedasticity
squares are sensitive to the
scaling of variables.
9
Brown et al. (1999) suggests the use of lagged
share price in price models. Barth and Clinch (1999) argue
in the model, which reduces the
accuracy of the parameter estimation. There is no consensus
in accounting literature on the best measure of size (scaling
factor). The frequently used variables include book value of
equity, market value of equity, total assets, lagged share
price and number of shares issued.
7
Gu (2001) maintains that R
2
is a descriptive measure specific to sample
and criticises the use of R
2
as metric to assess the value relevance of
accounting data across different samples. He suggests the use of residual
variance as an alternative measure of value relevance.
8
Brown et al. (1999) replicated the study of Collins et al. (1999) after
controlling for scale effects; they find that the value relevance of
accounting data has declined over time. They attribute this to an increase in
the scale effect having more than offset a decline in the explanatory power
of accounting data.
9
Ye (2009) argue that heteroscedasticity consistent methods such as the
White (1980) standard error method do not improve the estimates
themselves.
VOL. 2, NO. 6, September 2013 ISSN 2307-2466
International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management
2013. All rights reserved.
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426
that the number of shares outstanding can be a proxy for
scale. However, Easton (1998)
10
argues against using the
number of shares, since a firm arbitrarily determines the
number of shares it issues. Meanwhile, Barth and Kallapar
(1996) advocate for the use of unscaled estimation of the
price models. Easton and Sommers (2003)
11
In contrast some studies suggest that, in order to
mitigate the problems posed by potential scale effects, all
explanatory variables in price models should be deflated by
lagged share price for the period as proposed by Christie
(1987), Easton (1998) and Brown et al. (1999) which
approach has been recently applied in the study of Callao
and J arne (2010)
argue that the
best measure of scale is the market capitalization (market
value of equity). The use of other accounting data is
fundamentally inferior.
12
3. CONCLUSION
. However, this approach converts the
price model into returns model. Therefore the researcher
losses the very essence of the use of price model in equity
valuation.
Because of the possible weaknesses in the price
model and returns models, Kothari and Zimmerman (1995)
and Ota (2001) advice that, the most appropriate action is to
use both the price and the return models on the same
sample. However, Ota (2001) warns of the risk of obtaining
inconsistent and confusing empirical results.
Finally, Beisland (2009) argues that the research
question is decisive in the choice of the use of price models
or the returns models. Beisland (2009) argues that if the
intention of the study is to evaluate the pricing of equity and
other balance sheet items, the price models becomes the
choice. However, if the study has change oriented approach,
in which value creation is the main focus, or how value
relevance is affected by new accounting standards,
regulatory frameworks such corporate governance, a return
regression is appropriate.
There is evidence in accounting literature of the
relation between security market values or changes in
values and accounting numbers or information such as
earnings. Primarily two approaches are used in the valuation
of accounting numbers such as earnings. These are the
returns model and the price models. However, there is still
debate on which models provides a better measure and
10
Easton (1998) argues that the statistical associations between stock price
and book value per share and any other explanatory variables measured at
levels may simply be a spurious effect of scale. To prove his point using
U.S sample data, he deflated both sides of the price model to remove the
scale effect on book value per share, and earnings per share, and found
statistically significant coefficient estimates
11
See Easton and Sommers(2003) for detailed examination of market
capitalisation
12
Callao and J arne (2010) used this approach in their study examining
country factors and value relevance of discretionary accruals in the
European Union.
validity of the earnings return coefficient. While some prior
studies have indicated that the price model reports earnings
response coefficients which are less biased compared to
returns models. Others show that the Price models are
associated with poor econometric properties and
endogeneity problems. Price models are always subject to
rejection of tests of heteroscedasticity and model
misspecification than return models. In addition the returns
model is a basis of most value relevance studies and the
success of the returns model in examining the incremental
information of accounting, the timeliness of earnings and
market efficiency, is vital and meets the expectations of the
market (Beaver, 1998).
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