Changes in Value Relevance of Financial Information Upon IFRS Adoption : Evidence from Australia

We investigate whether the adoption of IFRS increases the value relevance of accounting information for firms listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Using a longitudinal study that covers pre-IFRS and post-IFRS periods during 1990-2008, we find that the combined relevance of book value of equity and earnings alters little with IFRS adoption. However, earnings become more value relevant whereas the book value of equity does not. This impact is concentrated in the sub-samples of large firms and firms that reported accounting information differences upon IFRS adoption. Consistent with an increase in the value relevance of earnings, earnings also become more persistent around IFRS adoption. Our study suggests that even for a country categorised by strong investor protection and high quality financial reporting and enforcement, IFRS adoption affects the associations between accounting information and market value