Do Stock Prices of Property Casualty Insurers Fully Reflect Information about Earnings, Accruals, Cash Flows, and Development?

William H. Beaver and Maureen F. McNichols
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William H. Beaver: Stanford University
Maureen F. McNichols: Stanford University

Review of Accounting Studies, 2001, vol. 6, issue 2, No 4, 197-220

Abstract: Abstract This paper examines whether the stock prices of property and casualty (P&C) insurers fully reflect information contained in earnings, cash flows and accruals, and one particular accrual—development of loss reserves. The reserve for policy losses is a major accrual for P&C firms, requires substantial judgment and is the subject of unique disclosures that reveal the ex post error in management estimates. We find that investors underestimate the persistence of cash flows and overestimate the persistence of accruals for P&C insurers, but our evidence suggests the market does not underestimate the persistence of the development accrual.

Keywords: Financial reporting; accruals; earnings management; market efficiency; property and casualty insurance; policy loss reserves (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1023/A:1011662825164

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