An Investigation of Relationship between Free Cash Flow and Real Earnings Management in Iranian listed Companies

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Prof in Accounting, Mazandaran University, Iran

2 M.Sc, Accounting, Iran

Abstract

Abstract: Free cash flow allied to low-growth opportunities identified as a major agency problem where managers make expenditures that reduce shareholder wealth. To hide the effects of the non-wealth-maximizing investments, managers can use earnings manipulation to increase reported earnings. We argue that low-growth companies with high free cash flow will use real earnings management (REM) to offset the low or negative earnings that inevitably accompany investments with negative net present values (NPVs). Using 515 company year observations over the period 1383–1387, with applying panel data analysis which consider fixed effect of firms, our results suggest that there is a positive relation between free cash flow and proxies for real earnings management. These findings are use full for auditor and policy maker in financial market

Keywords

References

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