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GAAP versus Street Earnings: Making Earnings Look Higher and Smoother

Stephen John Ciccone
University of New Hampshire - Department of Accounting & Finance




Abstract:     
Street earnings are compared to GAAP earnings for over 29,000 annual observations and 100,000 quarterly observations from 1990 to 2000. Analysis is performed after separating firms by profitability and earnings volatility. Although there is little difference between the two types of earnings for firms with GAAP profits, firms with GAAP losses report significantly higher Street earnings. Firms with annual GAAP losses are also about 20 times more likely to report annual Street profits than firms with annual GAAP profits are likely to report annual Street losses. Additionally, firms with volatile GAAP earnings tend to report higher, smoother Street earnings. The results suggest that some managers attempt to make financial performance look healthier.

Keywords: analysts, GAAP, Street, earnings, profits, losses

JEL Classifications: G29, G14, M41, M43

Working Paper Series

Date posted: August 08, 2002 ; Last revised: September 16, 2002

Suggested Citation

Ciccone, Stephen John, GAAP versus Street Earnings: Making Earnings Look Higher and Smoother. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=319320 or doi:10.2139/ssrn.319320


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Contact Information

Stephen J. Ciccone (Contact Author)
University of New Hampshire - Department of Accounting & Finance ( email )
Durham, NH 03824
United States
603-862-3343 (Phone)
603-862-3383 (Fax)
HOME PAGE: http://pubpages.unh.edu/~sciccone
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