EPS has been termed a summary indicator---a single item that communicates considerable information about an enterprise’s performance or financial position. The continuing trend toward complexity in financial reporting has caused many financial statement users to use summary indicators. EPS is especially popular because it is thought to contain information useful in making predictions about future dividends and stock prices, and it is often used as a measure of management efficiency. However, investors’ needs might be better satisfied with measures that predict future cash flows (such as current or pro forma dividends per share). As discussed in Chapter 7, cash-flow data may provide more relevant information to investors than earnings data using accrual basis accounting income. Many accountants discourage the use of summary indicators, such as EPS. These individuals maintain that an understanding of a company’s performance requires a more comprehensive analysis than a single ratio can provide.