The Impact of Financial Reporting on Equity versus Debt Markets: Macroeconomic Evidence from Mandatory IFRS Adoption

51 Pages Posted: 18 May 2009 Last revised: 12 May 2014

See all articles by Messod D. Beneish

Messod D. Beneish

Indiana University - Kelley School of Business - Department of Accounting

Brian P. Miller

Indiana University - Kelley School of Business - Department of Accounting

Teri Lombardi Yohn

Emory University Goizueta Business School

Date Written: March 5, 2012

Abstract

This study investigates whether a shock to financial reporting has a differential impact on debt and equity markets. Using macroeconomic data and a pre-post design centered in 2005, we find that IFRS adoption has a significantly greater effect on foreign debt than on foreign equity investment flows. This result is consistent with the notion that debt investors are greater consumers of financial statement information. Further, consistent with research on the effects of IFRS adoption on individual firms, we find that post-adoption increases in foreign equity investment are limited to countries with high (or improving) governance quality. In contrast, we find increases in foreign debt investment flows are not dependent on governance quality. This is consistent with recent research that concludes that negotiated covenants in bond contracts can offset weak investor protection at the country level. Finally, we find that the increase in foreign equity investment derives primarily from the U.S., whereas the increase in foreign debt investment derives from the U.S. and other non-adopting countries. This evidence that increases in foreign investment originate from non-adopting countries rather than other adopting countries suggests that the benefits from IFRS adoption more likely reflect improved financial reporting quality rather than greater comparability.

Keywords: IFRS, Cross Border Investment, Home Bias, Debt

JEL Classification: M41, G38

Suggested Citation

Beneish, Messod Daniel and Miller, Brian P. and Yohn, Teri Lombardi, The Impact of Financial Reporting on Equity versus Debt Markets: Macroeconomic Evidence from Mandatory IFRS Adoption (March 5, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1403451 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1403451

Messod Daniel Beneish

Indiana University - Kelley School of Business - Department of Accounting ( email )

1309 E. 10th Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States
812-855-2628 (Phone)
812-855-4985 (Fax)

Brian P. Miller (Contact Author)

Indiana University - Kelley School of Business - Department of Accounting ( email )

1309 E. 10th Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States
812-855-2606 (Phone)

Teri Lombardi Yohn

Emory University Goizueta Business School ( email )

201 Dowman Drive
Atlanta, GA 30322
United States

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