The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was intended to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures. However, critics have argued that the costs of SOX far outweigh its intended benefits. Prior studies based on stock-price reactions to SOX-related events document...

We examine institutional investors' trading activity during the period preceding firms' annual disclosures regarding the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) required under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). We find consistent evidence suggesting that...

Financial audit services have changed in the US over the last half century, resulting in distinct cyclical patterns of relative audit risk. The purpose of this project is to describe changing patterns in the economic and institutional risk environment over time and investigate differences using...

We examine changes in the association between auditor type (Big 4, Second-Tier, and Other non-Big 4) and perceived financial reporting credibility in the wake of events (e.g., Andersen's failure, the implementation of SOX, creation of the PCAOB, etc.) which led to significant growth in...

Accounting regulation is one aspect of the government’s role in protecting the investing public’s interest. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was an effort by the U.S. Congress to remedy negative effects of earlier major accounting failures. Requirements of SOX highlight the critical role...