Studies also find that investors perceive
research and development and advertising expenditures and bank core deposits as assets of
the firm (e.g., Abdel-khalik 1975; Hirschey and Weygandt 1985; Bublitz and Ettrcdgc 1989;
Landsrnan and Shapiro 1995; Barth ct al. 1996: Ecchcr ct al. 1996; Lev and Sougiannis
1996; Healy et. al. 1997; Joos 2000]. Barth and McNicho1s (1994) and Hughes (2000) find
that unbooked environmental liabilities are also priced.
One would expect various components of eamings to be associated with different pricing
multiplcs based on the persistence of that eamings component (Sloan 1996; Ohlson
1999). Empirical evidence indicates that the accrual components of eamings are not only
less persistent than the cash-flow components in forecasting future earnings, but also that
the accrual components are associated with a lower eamings multiple (Barth ct al. 1999).
Also for banks, earnings before security gains and losses is associated with a higher pricing
multiple than security gains and losses (Barth et al. 1990).