The authors find ‘significantly higher’ credit ratings for cross-listed IFRS firms following mandatory adoption in 2005. They also find that ‘this effect is more pronounced among those [firms] from countries where there is a greater difference between previous domestic standards and IFRS, and from countries that had weaker legal enforcement and investor protection before the transition.’ Countries classified as having weaker legal enforcement and investor protection include Germany, the Netherlands and, from outside the EU, Australia.