This paper examines the information content of stock option exercises versus regular insider share trades by corporate executives. We argue that the asymmetric payoff structure of options makes managerial wealth - compared to holdings of shares - relatively more sensitive to stock price changes...

Several initiatives and auditors’ professional organizations have argued that assurance about the quality of information, processes, or compliance encompasses the future market base for the accounting profession. However, the market for assurance services is in its formative stage and not well...

This paper examines the effect of Sarbanes-Oxley provisions on 10-K filing delays. We find that tightened filing deadlines for accelerated and large accelerated filers are not associated with changes in the incidence of late filing; that Section 404 compliance does not affect filing timeliness...

According to Nobes (1983) one of the discriminating features of accounting systems in certain countries such as Germany and France in comparison with the Netherlands and the United Kingdom is the degree of use of income smoothing. Explicitly, we will test the hypothesis that there is a...