Five years ago, Bernard (1995) predicted that the Feltham/Ohlson framework would
have sweeping effects on the direction of market-based accounting research. Five years
later, it is interesting to refiect on the prophetic nature of his statement. By and large,
his predictions have been correct. Some of the changes have been subtle, and others
appear only to be emerging, but the overall trend is unmistakable.
As Bernard (1995) predicted, the field is witnessing a gradual shift in research
objectives—away from studies that focus exclusively on the contemporaneous relation
between accounting information and returns (prices), toward studies that use accoimting
information in a predictive role. Also, as he foresaw, the RIM has provided a unifying
framework for empiricists interested in market-based accounting research. The model
has helped to rekindle an interest in fundamental analysis and has become an important
tool in public practice, particularly in consulting and among finance professionals.