2.4 Audit Opinion
Audit opinion refers to (external) auditor opinion about fairness of financial
statements prepared by management. Unqualified opinion is the most expected opinion by all
clients because this opinion confirms and assures that financial statements prepared by
management do not contain material misstatements and are in the line with accounting
standards. In contrast, no opinion is stated by auditor when auditor judges that they are not
independent in the audit task, there is conflict of interest between auditor and client, there is
significant limitation in audit scope, there is significant uncertainty, and/or there is significant
doubt about client’s business continuity or going concern.
Wang (2005) discovers that market negatively responds the stock price of companies
with unqualified audit opinion with explanatory language and opinion other than unqualified
audit opinion. In contrast, market responds positively the stock price of those with
unqualified opinion (Choi and Jeter, 1992; Chow and Rice, 1982). Czerney, Schmidt, and
Thompson (2013) shows that companies with unqualified audit opinion with explanatory
language more often restate their financial statements.