ECONOMIC IMPACT
Researchers Holger Daske, Luzi Hail, Christian Leuz and Rodrigo Verdi examined 3,100 firms in 26 countries mandated to adopt IFRS in “Mandatory IFRS Reporting around the World: Early Evidence on the Economic Consequences.” The study examines the economic effects of IFRS, for both early and mandated adoption.
The authors concluded that a company’s adoption of IFRS creates strong economic benefits in countries with rigid regulation over financial reporting. These benefits include an increase in the stock’s market value, an increase in market liquidity, and a lower cost of capital. Companies with major differences between GAAP and IFRS standards show the greatest benefit when supported by a strong regulatory environment.
Additionally, the researchers found that in firms that adopt early, benefits are not only strong in the year of the change to IFRS, but also in the year that reporting is officially mandated. Results reinforce the view that strong enforcement of reporting standards not only enhances transparency for investors but also increases the market position of adopters.
The paper also investigates possible contributing factors unrelated to IFRS adoption that may have caused these economic benefits to occur. Self-selection appears to be a primary reason; firms voluntarily changing to IFRS had factors unrelated to the accounting standard change that gave them an economic advantage.
The article, appearing in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Accounting Research, reinforces the economic benefits of voluntary early adoption of IFRS, combined with a strong regulatory environment emphasizing transparency and financial reporting quality.