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Voluntary Adopters of Integrated Reporting – Evidence on Forecast Accuracy and Firm Value
Author(s) -
Wahl Annika,
Charifzadeh Michel,
Diefenbach Fabian
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
business strategy and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.123
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1099-0836
pISSN - 0964-4733
DOI - 10.1002/bse.2519
Subject(s) - voluntary disclosure , enterprise value , business , earnings , integrated reporting , accounting , publication , transparency (behavior) , value (mathematics) , turnover , sample (material) , early adopter , intellectual capital , economics , finance , marketing , management , ecology , chemistry , chromatography , machine learning , advertising , political science , computer science , sustainability , law , biology
This study investigates how integrated reporting (IR) creates value for investors. It examines how providers of financial capital benefit from an improved firm information environment provided by IR. Specifically, this study investigates the effect of voluntary IR disclosure on analyst earnings forecast accuracy as well as on firm value. To do so, we use an international sample of 167 listed companies that voluntarily publish an integrated report. Our analysis shows no significant effect of a voluntary IR publication on analyst earnings forecast accuracy and no significant effect on firm value. We thus do not find evidence for the fulfillment of IR's promises regarding improved information environment and value creation of voluntary adopters. We conclude that such companies might already have a relatively high level of transparency leading to an absent additional effect of IR disclosure. Positive effects of IR appear to be more relevant in environments where IR is mandatory.