Determinants and consequences of accounting misstatements in Thailand : an analysis of firms subject to enforcement actions and restated financial reports

• Main Author: Wuttichindanon, Suneerat
• Published: Cardiff University 2012
• Subjects: HG Finance
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.567335

While the determinants of low earnings quality (GAAP violation) have been examined in prior research, very few studies have been undertaken in firms with concentrated ownership. Financial reporting in concentrated ownership firms is important because the types of agency conflict shift from the shareholder-agent conflict to the principal-principal conflict (i.e. a conflict between controlling shareholders and outside investors). Against this background, this research aims to reveal the determinants of accounting misstatements in concentrated ownership firms and Thai firms form the basis of the sample. In addition, the research assesses the economic consequences of accounting misstatements – an issue that has received relatively little attention in prior research. A study was conducted of a sample of 51 misstatement firm-years, compared with 2,452 non-misstatement firm-years for the financial reports of public companies listed on Thailand Stock Exchange during 2001-2009. The results indicate that Thai firms are more likely to misstate their financial reports when they are close to debt covenant violations and when they need external finance. Corporate governance mechanisms are also important factors influencing the likelihood of accounting misstatements. The likelihood of accounting misstatements increases when the ultimate owner holds more than 25% of the total shares. The determinants of accounting misstatements coincide with the institutional settings of the country. The study of the consequences of accounting misstatements reveals that misstating firms are more financially constrained than non-misstating firms after misstatement announcements. The net amount of capital supplied by capital providers falls significantly, particularly in the net proceeds from share issuances. The examination of both the determinants and consequences of accounting misstatements extends our understanding on the cost-benefit trade-off in the financial reporting process. The insights from this research might also be applicable to other countries where the country’s institutions are similar to those of Thailand and where ownership concentration is high.