We examine how adjustments to earnings during year-end audits affect measures of earnings quality. There are four key findings. First, audit adjustments cause earnings to become smoother and more persistent. Second, the adjustments result in higher accrual quality. Third, audit adjustments have...

Using a sample of listed Chinese non-state-controlled enterprises (NSCEs) from 1999 to 2011, we show that NSCEs with political connections are less likely to engage high quality (big) auditors than similar non-connected NSCEs. These results suggest that connected NSCEs under Chinese state...