Although the model is cost-effective relative to a strategy of treating all companies as nonmanipulators, its large rate of classification errors makes further investigation of the screening results important. The model’s variables exploit
distortions in financial statement data that might or might not result from manipulation. For example, the distortions could be the result of a material acquisition during the period examined, a material shift in the company’s value-maximizing strategy,
or a significant change in the company’s economic environment.