, research since the late 1960s developed with out much emphasis on the precise structure of the relation between accounting data and firm value. In a sense, Ohlson (1995) and Feltham and Ohlson (1995) return to "step one" and attempt to build a more solid foundation for further work. A fair evaluation of this work must consider that it is only a first step, not yet intended to represent a fully developed framework. Nevertheless, even in its embryonic state, the path laid down in Ohlson (1995) and Feltham and Ohlson (1995) offers some important and immediate contributions.