However, the use of accruals allows for
management discretion to signal their private
information or to opportunistically manipulate
their earnings. The signaling of information will
improve the ability of earnings to reflect firm
performance (Holthausen 1990; Healy and Palepu
1993). In contrast, the management discretion
to opportunistically manage earnings will make
earnings to become a less reliable measure
of firm performance. Therefore, many users of
financial statements turn to cash flows as an
alternative measure of firm performance. Net
cash flows have no accrual adjustment so they
are not subject to management discretion from
using different accounting practices. Information
of cash flows is useful, in conjunction with other
information, in forecasting future operating cash
flows and valuing firms. Cash flows from operations
reflect net cash flows generated by the firm’s
operating activities. IAS No. 7, Statement of Cash
Flows, states that the amount of cash flows
from operating activities is a key indicator of the
extent to which the operations of the firm have
generated sufficient cash flows to repay loans,
maintain the operating capability of the entity,
pay dividends and make new investments (IASB
2009a). Therefore, more cash flows indicate higher
value and analysts recommend buying stocks of
firms that have positive cash flows.