Auditor's report, auditor's size and value relevance of accounting information

Ahmad Abdollahi, Yasser Rezaei Pitenoei and Mehdi Safari Gerayli

Journal of Applied Accounting Research, 2020, vol. 21, issue 4, 721-739

Abstract: Purpose - The present study sets out to examine the effect of auditor's report and audit firm size on the value relevance of accounting information of the companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during the years 2008–2017. Design/methodology/approach - The study includes a sample of 1,530 firm-year observations drawn from the listed companies, and the research hypotheses were analyzed using multivariate regression model based on panel data. Findings - The findings reveal that auditor's report and audit firm size are positively and significantly correlated with two indicators of the value relevance of accounting information including value relevance of earnings and book value per share. Also our results exhibit robustness to the alternative measure of auditor's attributes. Research limitations/implications - As far as we know, this is the first study to analyze the association between auditor's attributes and value relevance of accounting information in emerging capital markets, thereby generating certain implications for investors, managers, capital market policy makers and audit profession regulators in general and those in emerging markets in particular. Practical implications - Our findings have implications for policy makers, regulators, managers and investors. Our evidence on the positive association between auditor's size and value relevance of accounting information should help policy makers and regulators which they improve value relevance of accounting information and financial reporting by integrating small audit firms and setting up larger audit firms. Originality/value - A rise in the value relevance of accounting information deserves further attention while drawing investment, selling the stocks of existing firms and increasing investor's decision-making ability. The way how auditor's attributes can promote the value relevance of accounting information is still open to new research.

Keywords: Audit report; Audit firm; Value relevance of accounting information; Earnings value per share; Book value per share (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jaarpp:jaar-11-2019-0153

DOI: 10.1108/JAAR-11-2019-0153

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