Explains why financial analysts could find it useful to separate past earnings into discretionary accruals and earnings before discretionary accruals; referring to related research to develop hypotheses on the effects of both on the change in analysts’ earnings forecasts for the subsequent...

Outlines previous research into the factors influencing managers’ choice of accounting procedures and auditors’ acceptance of them, including regulatory action by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Studies data from 1980‐1996 SEC enforcement actions against big five...