We examine whether auditors accommodate the information needs of some clients by sharing their private information learned from other clients in their portfolio. In analyzing the setting where the forecast-issuing brokerage houses and the forecasted companies engage the same auditor, we find...

We examine the role that political-economic factors play in shaping financial analyst bias using a series of scheduled provincial elections in China. Theory on political business cycles holds that, in a short period prior to these political events, provincial politicians have stronger incentives...

We examine the role that an audit firm’s national office plays in shaping its practice offices’ economic outcomes. Given that national offices provide superior support, monitoring, and advising to physically closer offices, we expect an increase in proximity to improve practice offices’...

We study the effect of state control on capital allocation and investment in China where the government screens prospective stock issuers. We find that state firms are more likely to obtain government approval to conduct seasoned equity offerings than non-state firms. Further, non-state firms...

We study the effect of state control on capital allocation and investment in China, where the government screens prospective stock issuers. We find that state firms are more likely to obtain government approval to conduct seasoned equity offerings than non-state firms. Further, non-state firms...

This study investigates whether companies engage in audit opinion shopping activities by exerting influence over an audit firm's decision to switch the engagement partner (“partner-level opinion shopping”) in the Chinese setting, where the identities of engagement partners are publicly...

We identify connected auditors as those who attended the same university as the executives of their clients. Using manually collected data from China, we find that connected auditors are more likely to issue favorable audit opinions, especially for financially distressed clients. Moreover,...

Using a 2004 Chinese securities regulation that requires equity offering proposals to obtain the separate approval of voting minority shareholders, we examine whether giving minority shareholders increased control over corporate decisions helps reduce value-decreasing corporate decisions for...

Auditing standards and anecdotal evidence suggest that accounting personnel's lack of financial reporting competencies can increase audit risk. This study draws on human capital theory to measure the quality of accounting personnel based on their education level and obtains evidence of how the...

Audit firms become politically connected when their partners are appointed to the regulatory committee that screens prospective initial public offering (IPO) companies. Connections with regulators may enable audit firms to gain insights into the regulatory process which can help their clients...