Accounting representations of equity value provide a theoretical foundation
for empirical research that seeks to examine the value relevance of
accounting variables such as aggregate earnings and book values. A standard
caveat to the neoclassical approach is that predictions on the accounting variables
needed to represent equity value and the weights that attach to those
variables may be affected by information asymmetries that might explain a
positive demand for accounting, that is, break the indifference between valuation
in terms of cash flows and valuation in terms of accounting variables.
That caveat aside, the contributions of this study are to characterize the
impact of inflation and, relatedly, foreign exchange on the set of terms that
enter an accounting representation of firm value for an all-equity firm and
on the weights that attach to the accounting variables contained in those
terms.We show that the manner in which the accounting is done affects the
set of both terms and weights and, hence, the predictions that empiricists
might make in assessing value relevance of variables such as bottom-line
earnings and book value.
Our analysis of inflation accounting rationalizes prescriptions of SFAS 33
for restating beginning book value and adjusting depreciation, albeit using
750 J. HUGHES, J. LIU, AND M. ZHANG
expected inflation rates rather than realized rates as implicitly directed.
By rationalizing, we mean ensuring that aggregate earnings in the form
of comprehensive income and current book value are sufficient to represent
equity value without loss of value-relevant information, that is, efficient
accounting. We further show that deviating from an appropriate depreciation
policy for this purpose gives rise to another term to correct for the
distortion. Notably, employing realized inflation rates introduces a transitory
component of earnings that can be viewed as a source of noise. This
observation could help explain empirical findings of only weak evidence
of incremental value relevance to inflation-adjusted accounting data in the
United States. Additional analysis suggests approximating adjustments for
inflation by a depreciation policy based on long-run average inflation results
in valuation errors that are increasing in the volatility of inflation rates.
Given that preparing full-scale inflation-adjusted financial statements that
are updated each period for changes in conditional expected inflation rates
may be costly, it is possible that firms in low-inflationary environments find it
sufficient to approximate effects of inflation through depreciation policies
based on the long-run average inflation rate.
The study of inflation segues naturally into an analysis of accounting for
foreign exchange. Using parity theorems to relate inflation to exchange
rates, we consider the properties of the historical and current exchangerate-
based approaches prescribed by SFAS 8 and SFAS 52, respectively. We
show that under appropriate depreciation policies, both approaches result
in efficient accounting in domestic currency. The latter approach of using
current exchange rates need not be compromised by an implicit reliance
on realized exchange rates under purchasing power parity because,
constructively, the shock in exchange rates offsets the shock in inflation
rates.
Besides the standard caveat to the neoclassical approach in deriving accounting
representations of equity value of suppressing information asymmetries,
our model abstracts away any real effects of inflation or foreign
exchange on fundamentals. Some of the possible real effects are likely to
be at the firm level where, in principle, they could alter our results. The
Markov structure of our cash-flow dynamics limits the prospect of terms
other than the previous book value entering an accounting representation
of value when parsimony is not achieved. However, neither this limitation
nor the assumption of a single class of operating assets and related accrual
policy (depreciation) appear to detract materially from the qualitative implications
of our results.
A major challenge for future research is to blend accounting representations
of equity value with information asymmetries that provide a positive
demand for accounting information beyond the information provided by
current cash flows and other public signals for which presently the generating
processes are exogenous. Of course, responding to this challenge
transcends issues of inflation and foreign exchange.
Accounting representations of equity value provide a theoretical foundation
for empirical research that seeks to examine the value relevance of
accounting variables such as aggregate earnings and book values. A standard
caveat to the neoclassical approach is that predictions on the accounting variables
needed to represent equity value and the weights that attach to those
variables may be affected by information asymmetries that might explain a
positive demand for accounting, that is, break the indifference between valuation
in terms of cash flows and valuation in terms of accounting variables.
That caveat aside, the contributions of this study are to characterize the
impact of inflation and, relatedly, foreign exchange on the set of terms that
enter an accounting representation of firm value for an all-equity firm and
on the weights that attach to the accounting variables contained in those
terms.We show that the manner in which the accounting is done affects the
set of both terms and weights and, hence, the predictions that empiricists
might make in assessing value relevance of variables such as bottom-line
earnings and book value.
Our analysis of inflation accounting rationalizes prescriptions of SFAS 33
for restating beginning book value and adjusting depreciation, albeit using
750 J. HUGHES, J. LIU, AND M. ZHANG
expected inflation rates rather than realized rates as implicitly directed.
By rationalizing, we mean ensuring that aggregate earnings in the form
of comprehensive income and current book value are sufficient to represent
equity value without loss of value-relevant information, that is, efficient
accounting. We further show that deviating from an appropriate depreciation
policy for this purpose gives rise to another term to correct for the
distortion. Notably, employing realized inflation rates introduces a transitory
component of earnings that can be viewed as a source of noise. This
observation could help explain empirical findings of only weak evidence
of incremental value relevance to inflation-adjusted accounting data in the
United States. Additional analysis suggests approximating adjustments for
inflation by a depreciation policy based on long-run average inflation results
in valuation errors that are increasing in the volatility of inflation rates.
Given that preparing full-scale inflation-adjusted financial statements that
are updated each period for changes in conditional expected inflation rates
may be costly, it is possible that firms in low-inflationary environments find it
sufficient to approximate effects of inflation through depreciation policies
based on the long-run average inflation rate.
The study of inflation segues naturally into an analysis of accounting for
foreign exchange. Using parity theorems to relate inflation to exchange
rates, we consider the properties of the historical and current exchangerate-
based approaches prescribed by SFAS 8 and SFAS 52, respectively. We
show that under appropriate depreciation policies, both approaches result
in efficient accounting in domestic currency. The latter approach of using
current exchange rates need not be compromised by an implicit reliance
on realized exchange rates under purchasing power parity because,
constructively, the shock in exchange rates offsets the shock in inflation
rates.
Besides the standard caveat to the neoclassical approach in deriving accounting
representations of equity value of suppressing information asymmetries,
our model abstracts away any real effects of inflation or foreign
exchange on fundamentals. Some of the possible real effects are likely to
be at the firm level where, in principle, they could alter our results. The
Markov structure of our cash-flow dynamics limits the prospect of terms
other than the previous book value entering an accounting representation
of value when parsimony is not achieved. However, neither this limitation
nor the assumption of a single class of operating assets and related accrual
policy (depreciation) appear to detract materially from the qualitative implications
of our results.
A major challenge for future research is to blend accounting representations
of equity value with information asymmetries that provide a positive
demand for accounting information beyond the information provided by
current cash flows and other public signals for which presently the generating
processes are exogenous. Of course, responding to this challenge
transcends issues of inflation and foreign exchange.
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