Accounting earnings are decomposed into cash flows from operations (Ct),
non-discretionary accruals (NAt) and discretionary accruals (DAt). Non-discretionary
accruals are accounting adjustments to the firm's cash flows
mandated by accounting standard-setting bodies (e.g., the Securities Exchange
Commission and the Financial Accounting Standards Board). These bodies
require, for example, that companies depreciate long-lived assets in some
systematic manner, value inventories using the lower of cost or market rule,
and value obligations on financing leases at the present value of the lease
payments