Unternehmensbewertung bei Inflation und Wachstum

The valuation literature partly suggests distinguishing between growth based on retained earnings and growth based on inflation. It is not clear, however, whether inflation leads to growth and how to incorporate inflation into valuation formulas. Our paper analyzes this question using a model of a firm, which makes periodically new investments that are subject to inflation and growth. In contrast to some of the literature, we show that accounting-based valuation formulas must not be adjusted for inflation. Using nominal accounting numbers and historical unadjusted book values leads to the same valuation like discounting cash flows. We conclude that the valuation procedure, suggested by the German Institute of Auditors (IDW) leads to a deviation between accounting-based and cash-flow-based valuation formulas.     

Die systematische Entstehung von versicherungsmathematischen Gewinnen und Verlusten bei der Bewertung von Pensionsverpflichtungen

The accounting for pension obligations is based upon numerous parameters, whose future developments must be forecasted for valuation purposes. If the actual realizations of theses parameters deviate from their original estimations there are generated so-called actuarial gains and losses. IAS 19 provides three alternative accounting treatments with respect to these actuarial gains and losses. In particular the equity and the corridor approach, both frequently used in practice, implicitly assume that the actuarial gains and losses offset each other in the long run. However different studies have demonstrated by using the Monte-Carlo-Simulation-technique that this long-term offset is not assured. But those studies do not propose a rationale for the observed generation of systematic actuarial gains and losses. The present paper provides an analytic rationale for the systematic appearance of actuarial gains and losses and comes to the following conclusion: The long-term offset of actuarial gains and losses is assured only if the parameters that must be estimated for valuation purposes are independent. However if there is an interdependence between those parameters, which seems to be a sound assumption in reality, the offset of actuarial gains and losses is not given. In case of a positive correlation actuarial losses are generated on a systematic basis, whereas a negative correlation results in actuarial gains.     

Residual income valuation and management remuneration under uncertainty: a note

The so-called Residual Income Valuation theorem states that the value of a project or a firm can be determined either on the basis of cash flows between the firm and its owners or by using residual incomes, provided that cash flows and residual incomes are derived from a set of accounting data that fulfills certain regularity conditions. Residual income is defined as accounting earnings reduced by a capital charge on book equity capital. In this paper it is shown that this theorem also applies when residual incomes and in particular the discount factors are uncertain. Risk-aversion of principals and agents is taken into account on the basis of properly defined risk-adjusted discount rates. This approach is preferred as it facilitates practical application. Implications are drawn with regards to valuation but also to the design of management remuneration systems. It is shown that the capital charge rate used to determine the performance-related compensation component should be reduced below the risk-adjusted rate, if the fixed component falls below a certain threshold. Absent agency cost or other externalities, the reduction of the capital charge rate is required to avoid underinvestment.     

Knowledge, innovation and share value

Knowledge–based enterprises (KBEs) are difficult to value owing to the relatively greater importance of their intangible assets, such as human capital and investment in innovation. Traditional valuation models rely on variables such as earnings, dividends and assets, which, for many KBEs, are either non–existent or are distorted by differing accounting practices. This paper reviews the various attempts by practitioners and academics to overcome these difficulties by such devices as different proxies for the valuation variables or different forms of the valuation equations. We then examine some theoretical approaches that provide novel approaches to valuation. Finally, we discuss the notion of the 'fuzzy firm', where traditional corporate boundaries have become amorphous, with the result that the firms require new valuation methodologies.     

The Effect of Earnings‐Based Metrics on Vertical Efficiency

The tendency to rely on accounting earnings as the primary metric of corporate performance has been subject to criticism in recent times. A key concern is that earnings misrepresent changes in value in that cash outlays occur upfront but expenses are recognized only over time. While recognized expenses indeed add up to the initial cash outflow, the equality holds only in undiscounted (nominal), not discounted (real), terms. Accordingly, corporate earnings figures suffer from a form of money illusion. In this paper, we demonstrate that such money illusion can have an upside when it is present in vertical relationships subject to self‐interest. In particular, a buyer who focuses on earnings has incentives to increase purchases since it does not immediately encounter the full cost of cash outflows. These added incentives can promote more efficient trade. We also show that the increased incentives to buy can also lead to Pareto improvements by spurring the supplier to invest more in developing technology. Finally, we demonstrate that judiciously chosen inventory valuation rules can lead to efficient supply chain outcomes. Thus, efficiency can be achieved when supply chain parties freely trade and regulators specify only the accounting rules under which they operate.     

Population Ageing and the Labour Market: Evidence from Italy

Individual data from eight waves of the European Community Household Panel are used to investigate the impact of cohort size on age‐earnings and employment profiles of Italian male workers. Evidence that over the life cycle cohort size depresses employment opportunities of men with low education and earnings and employment rates of men with intermediate and high qualifications born into large cohorts is found. These results are used to carry out a simple simulation where the average future wages of Italian male workers are projected for the next 4.5 decades. According to this simulation, the wages of Italian male workers will follow a hump‐shaped pattern in the next three decades, before slightly increasing again.     

Planning for pensions in inflation

The problem of pension planning under inflationary conditions is considered in this article. The author deals with a variety of aspects of the problem and concludes that under present conditions the amount of effective pension planning possible is minimal or extremely expensive.     

Vorsichtige Rechnungslegung und Informationsgehalt

This paper contributes to the current and controversial debate about costs and benefits of conservatism in financial reporting. It presents a formalization of conservatism of an information system and shows that, holding precision constant, an increase of the probability of bad signals reduces their information content. This can make the interpretation of bias as conservative or aggressive ambiguous. It has also consequences for the association of market returns and earnings, which is used in empirical estimates of accounting conservatism. The paper discusses several models that show economic benefits of conservatism.     

The Phenomenology of Earnings Management within the Confines of Agency Theory

Agents' selective and acceptable reporting of economic events by different accounting systems, compounded by alternative accounting methods and estimates, make financial statements an approximation of economic reality. The tendency to delay accounting recognition of some transactions suggests that financial statements lag behind reality. The difference between reality and imaginary is often referred to as the agency problem. An essential characteristic of this problem is risk attitudes of principals (shareholders) and agents (management). Shareholders are considered risk neutral in their preferences for individual firms. They are in a position to diversify their shareholdings across multiple firms. Agents on the other hand have security and income that are inextricably linked to one firm. It would not be surprising to find agents exhibiting risk aversion in decisions regarding the firm. Immediately one's attention is drawn to the opportunity costs that arise for the risk-neutral shareholders who prefer that agents maximize their returns. The risk differential between agents and principals creates a problem in principal-agent relationship. It is within this framework that supervisory and incentive alignment mechanisms that alter the risk orientation of agents are set up. Powerful incentives act upon agents as they exercise their judgment, particularly when the judgment can trigger a stock market response that will, in turn, affect the firm in numerous ways. The responsibility of agents is to manage earnings. From a principal's perspective not all of the methods used to achieve this goal are equally desirable. Agents can either increase productivity or they can strategically manipulate accounting choices to affect earnings. The latter method need not come with any associated changes in productivity. Consequently, there is misstatement of the financial results and position. The calculus of earnings management is considered within the confines of agents' treatment of risk. Using an Agency Theory framework, this study examines the techniques used by agents to manage and manipulate earnings. The study initially tests the hypothesis whether earnings are really managed. For this purpose two manipulation indices were developed and based upon these indices the phenomenology earnings management was considered.     

Latente Steuern und Earnings Management

On the one hand deferred income taxes can be used for earnings management for external reporting purposes by itself. On the other hand deferred income taxes can indicate earnings management in other accounting areas, fraud and aggressive tax management. Empirical research was able to identify the usefulness of information provided by sundry components of the reported income tax expense for users of financial statements. In particular, the German literature concerning financial statement analysis underestimates the value of this information. This paper critically reviews empirical research and draws conclusions for financial statement analysis and for future studies in this area.     

Sind die Regeln der externen Unternehmensrechnung auf die kommunale Rechnungslegung übertragbar?

The replacement of public sector accounting methods in municipalities by double-entry bookkeeping has been discussed as well as implemented for some time now. This paper examines whether municipal accounting comprises accounting purposes which are comparable to the purposes of external financial reporting and whether the recognition and valuation rules used in firms can also be applied to municipal accounting. We argue that municipalities and businesses have similar accounting purposes. However, the application of financial reporting, including the corresponding recognition and valuation rules, to municipal accounting requires a critical look for several reasons. First, the concept of accounting income is not suitable in terms of decision-facilitating and decision-influencing in municipalities. Furthermore, it is doubtful how meaningful the valuations of municipal assets in annual financial statements are. The equivalent of providing dividend restrictions based on accounting income is often thought to consist in ensuring intergenerational fairness by asset preservation in municipalities. However, this element of municipal accounting requires rules that are not based on an asymmetrical recording of risks and chances according to the principle of prudence and that take into account the assessment of future generations regarding the benefits of municipal projects.     

基本养老保险系统集成度的演化博弈分析及仿真研究

我国现行城镇职工基本养老保险制度面临提升统筹层次、提高待遇充足性等问题,而现阶段养老保险体系改革困境的制度根源正是由于中央政府、地方政府和企业三方的竞争、制衡。论文针对这一问题,运用改进的捕食者-猎物R-M模型,刻画这三个利益主体之间的动态博弈,设计实验分析基本养老保险系统的保费博弈。理论分析发现：提高养老保险统筹层次、积极应对人口老龄化、提高基金管理效率,多样化退休收入,不仅能提高养老保险待遇充足性,还能促进经济增长,但集成速度过快也会超出市场承载力而导致政策失效。实验结果与理论相符,此外,通过适度提升系统集成度来提高统筹层次能够降低最终保费,且使保费博弈更快达到稳定。     

Decision-usefulness of ideal cost- and ideal value accounting for valuation and stewardship

This paper contrasts the decision-usefulness of prototype accounting regimes based on perfect accounting for value, i.e. ideal value accounting (IVA), and perfect matching of cost, i.e. ideal cost accounting (ICA). The regimes are analyzed in the context of a firm with overlapping capacity investments where projects earn excess returns and residual income is utilized as performance indicator. Provided that IVA and ICA systematically differ based on the criterion of unconditional conservatism, we assess their respective decision-usefulness for different valuation- and stewardship-scenarios. Assuming that addressees solely observe current accounting data of the firm, ICA provides information which is useful for valuation and stewardship without reservation whereas IVA entails problems under specific assumptions.     

Does managerial ability influence the quality of financial reporting?

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of managerial ability on the quality of their financial reporting. Using a large bank sample from nine different countries and for the time period 2004–2010, we expect that bank earnings quality and accounting conservatism increase with more able managers that disclose more accurate earnings and who report higher information about banks’ future earnings and cash flows.The results confirm that managerial abilities play a significant role in the quality of financial reporting in banks, and that capable bank managers are less likely to manage earnings opportunistically. This study is timely and relevant given the recent emphasis on earnings quality of banks over the last few years, and the criticisms of managerial abilities after the financial crisis. The evidence from this study can help standard-setters and regulators to better understand the business practices and accounting behavior of banks in the light of managerial abilities.     

Models of the future

Existing world models are criticized for the omission of feedback effects. Modifications to existing models are considered implausible, and a very simple structure representing the system by stocks and flows of energy is proposed. The planning implications of such simple models are explored in terms of risk evaluation. The analysis of a possible risk situation yields a dimensionless quantity relating capital investment, depletion rate, investment fraction and efficiency. This quantity is shown to be critical in determining the existence of discontinuities in the growth curve, independent of the desired level of growth.     

资产减值准备计提与会计盈余价值相关性——基于亏损上市公司的经验数据

采用多元回归分析法对新8项资产减值会计准则实施后,亏损上市公司计提减值准备的会计盈余价值相关性进行了研究;在考虑公司个体特点的基础上,运用堆栈回归法,采用随机效应影响的面板模型对不同年度的会计盈余价值相关性进行了分析。结果表明,从整体上看,亏损上市公司计提减值准备后增强了会计盈余价值相关性,计提的减值准备数据本身也具有增量价值相关性,同时,研究还发现盈利年度的会计信息对投资者的决策更有用,以及投资者不能有效识别微利公司的会计盈余质量,而对于巨亏公司与通过转回减值准备方式盈利的公司来说,其会计盈余数据的决策相关性显著低于对比公司,投资者能有效识别其会计盈余质量,这为2007年1月1日起实施的《企业会计准则第8号——资产减值》中规定的关于已计提的减值准备不可转回的会计准则变革提供了实证支持。     

机构投资者持股与企业应计盈余管理和真实盈余管理行为选择

采用异常操控性项目的计算方法度量企业应计盈余管理和真实盈余管理程度,以2003年至2011年中国上市公司为研究样本,构建多元线性回归模型和联立方程模型,考察机构投资者持股对应计盈余管理和真实盈余管理行为选择的影响。研究结果表明,机构投资者持股比例与真实盈余管理程度显著负相关,与应计盈余管理程度显著正相关;对机构投资者明细类别的检验结果发现这种相关关系在投资基金、证券公司、QFII、保险公司和社保基金这5类机构投资者中均存在,但企业年金、信托公司、财务公司和银行持股对盈余管理行为的影响不显著;按照机构投资者持股规模、股权分置改革和终极控制人性质的分组检验结果表明,这种相关关系在不同的内外部环境中均存在,且相对于国有控股上市公司,非国有控股上市公司中机构投资者抑制真实盈余管理行为的作用更强;机构投资者持股与整体盈余管理程度显著负相关。     

买断版权方式下云会计服务供应链的期权契约协调研究

利益协调是买断版权方式下云会计服务供应链双方能否合作成功的关键之所在。研究了由一个云会计产品提供商和n个云会计服务供应商所构成的两级供应链期权契约协调问题。以服务供应商的期初订购量和服务租金价格作为决策变量,建立了需求与服务租金价格具有相关性的期权契约模型。研究表明单纯的期权契约无法实现云会计服务供应链的协调,而在期权契约的基础上通过服务供应商将收益的一部分返还给产品提供商的联合期权能够使供应链得到协调。研究结果为买断版权方式下的供应链协调问题提供决策支撑。通过算例分析验证了模型的有效性和合理性。     

政府补贴、成长性和亏损公司定价

本文以Ohlson模型考察2002-2007年A股亏损公司定价问题。针对亏损公司盈余与权益价值负相关这一异常现象,我们通过将政府补贴、成长性、研发支出和负债融资信息引入定价模型,发现政府补贴、成长性和负债因素能够有效改善模型,消除了盈余与权益价值显著负相关的异常现象,改善了定价模型的效果。通过从规模和净利润两个维度对亏损公司的进一步分类,我们发现从净利润维度来看,政府向那些更容易通过非经常项目扭亏的公司提供了更多财政补贴,并且政府补贴与净利润为正公司的权益价值显著负相关,与净利润为负公司的权益价值不存在显著相关关系;从规模维度来看,上述现象在小公司样本更加明显。     

Earnings per share is a poor indicator of performance

One of the greatest dangers in corporate financial planning is failing to separate investment decision making from financial policy, because poor quality investments can appear to be desirable as a result of the particular financing vehicle employed. Management's focus of attention should not be rates of growth and earnings per share or return on net worth. Rather, the most important measure of corporate performance is the rate of return on total capital employed. The paper identifies the dangers of employing an earnings per share criterion for evaluating corporate performance, and suggests an alternative: focusing on a company's free cash flow, net operating profits after taxes minus the amount of new capital investment required in order to generate future profits. The author presents an analytical framework employing his free cash flow concept which can be applied to pricing and financing acquisitions.