Collins and Hribar (2000b) point to another problem in identifying not only
discretionary accruals, but total accruals as well.They show that a researcher’s estimate of total accruals using the balance sheet approach instead of taking
information directly from a cash flow statement is economically significantly
biased in the presence of mergers and acquisitions and discontinued
operations.55 Precise information on cash flows and accruals has become
available only after the Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No.95
became effective in 1987, and many research studies use the balance sheet
approach even in the recent period.The misestimation of total accruals
increases the error in estimating discretionary accruals and potentially biases
the estimated discretionary accrual.If the test sample firms are more active in
mergers and acquisitions or have discontinued operations more frequently than
the control sample firms, then Collins and Hribar (2000b) analysis suggests the
inferences might be incorrect.Their replication of the studies examining
seasoned equity offering firms’ accrual manipulation reveals that the bias in
estimated discretionary accruals largely accounts for the apparent manipulation
documented in Teoh et al.(1998a) and elsewhere.