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dc.contributor.authorLev, Baruch-
dc.contributor.authorRyan, Stephen G.-
dc.contributor.authorWu, Min-
dc.date.accessioned2008-06-04T16:08:46Z-
dc.date.available2008-06-04T16:08:46Z-
dc.date.issued2007-02-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2451/27473-
dc.description.abstractResearch on the usefulness of financial information generally focuses on the innovation in the information examined, such as an earnings surprise or cash flow growth. Consequently, prior research sheds little light on the role of the rich historical record of financial information in users' decision-making. Using a sample of published restatements of earnings, we show that the revision of the historical pattern of earnings, distinct from the magnitude of the restatement and its impact on current earnings, significantly affects investors' decisions and predicts class action lawsuits. Specifically, we find that restatements that eliminate or shorten histories of earnings growth or positive earnings have significantly more adverse effects for investor valuations and the likelihood of lawsuits than other restatements. This evidence about the value-relevance of refreshing the historical record of earnings is pertinent to the FASB's recent cautious expansion of the scope of circumstances that require a restatement of financial information in FAS 154.en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.relation.ispartofseriesBaruch Lev-13en
dc.subjectHistorical recorden
dc.subjectrevisionsen
dc.subjectfinancial informationen
dc.subjectinvestorsen
dc.subjectdecisionsen
dc.subjectclass action lawsuits.en
dc.titleRewriting Earnings Historyen
dc.typeWorking Paperen
Appears in Collections:Accounting Working Papers

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