The Relationship between Earnings Quality, Control Mechanisms of Corporate Governance, and Future Stock Price Returns : The Case of the Netherlands

This article extends prior research on the relation between earnings quality (assessed by accruals) and future stock price returns and adds new research on the relationships between direct and indirect corporate governance mechanisms of control with accruals and future stock price returns. We study public companies of the Netherlands and find the presence of mispricing associated with very high and very low accruals. We also find evidence that direct corporate governance control mechanisms, such as the existence of separate, independent, and skilled audit committees, are related to higher earnings quality and higher future stock price returns