This paper investigates the effects of both regulation and economic demand on the timeliness of UK private companies' accounting information. We study companies' response to a one-month shortening of the statutory filing deadline and hypothesise that companies using accounting to communicate...

We examine how investment professionals assess the usefulness of financial accounting information depending on their information acquisition objectives and preparers’ earnings management incentives. We conduct a survey experiment based on face-to-face interviews with investment professionals...

In recent years, regulators have exempted an increasing number of companies from the requirement to appoint auditors, yet little is known about the role of the accounting profession in preparing and validating the financial statements of unaudited companies. In this paper, we examine empirically...

This paper investigates the extent to which the timeliness of UK private companies' accounting information reflects regulatory and economic influences by studying the impact of a one month shortening of the statutory regulatory filing deadline. Using the financial reporting lag and propensity to...

We study clauses in private lending agreements requiring auditors to assure lenders of borrowers' compliance with financial covenants. Auditors are required under general purpose financial reporting to review covenant compliance. However, by informing lenders directly that they have no knowledge...

This paper simultaneously examines, for the first time, the determinants of external audit fees of UK companies drawn from the quoted sector (Main Market, the Alternative Investment Market and Ofex), and the unquoted sector (public and private limited companies). The paper also provides new...

Despite displaying a statistically significant optimism bias, analysts' earnings forecasts are an important input to investors' valuation models. Understanding the possible reasons for any bias is important if information is to be extracted from earnings forecasts and used optimally by...