A report issued by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in 2003 identified auditors' industry expertise as a critical factor for firms choosing an auditor, and highlighted the rather extreme levels of auditor concentration in some industries. We posit that the investment opportunity set...

This study examines whether auditors adjust their effort and pricing decisions for political visibility. We argue, from the behavioural literature, that political visibility will create the need for more justification by auditors. Using data on actual audit fees, hours and billing rates for a...

A regulatory approved Deed of cross guarantee (the Deed), introduced into Australia in December 1991, exempts nominated companies (the closed group) from having to prepare, have audited, and file financial statements. We examine the characteristics of firms that obtain relief from filing (and...

This paper compares estimates of value derived from conventional discounted cash flow and price earnings valuation methods to the market price. For a sample of 45 firms newly listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange our results suggest that the best discounted cash flow method and the best price...

<title>Abstract</title> This study investigates demand and supply characteristics associated with firms that voluntarily established audit committees meeting ‘best practice’ membership guidelines. We focus on a set of best practice criteria rather than on the separate elements of the best practice criteria...