Published in:
23-03-2019
Non-GAAP reporting following debt covenant violations
Authors:
Theodore E. Christensen, Hang Pei, Spencer R. Pierce, Liang Tan
Published in:
Review of Accounting Studies
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Issue 2/2019
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Abstract
We investigate whether firms change their non-GAAP reporting practices after debt covenant violations. We find that the likelihood that a firm will disclose non-GAAP earnings decreases and (for those that continue to disclose) the quality of non-GAAP reporting improves following covenant violations, consistent with stronger shareholder monitoring during this period of scrutiny. Consistent with increased monitoring following a debt covenant violation, cross-sectional analyses indicate that these changes in non-GAAP reporting are concentrated among firms with strong governance. Moreover, we find that investor demand for disclosure (proxied by analyst-provided non-GAAP performance metrics and EDGAR search volume) increases following a covenant violation. Collectively, our evidence is consistent with heightened investor scrutiny following covenant violations, and it casts doubt on the competing explanation that shareholders delegate monitoring to creditors following a covenant violation. Overall, our evidence provides new insights on the determinants of firms’ non-GAAP reporting practices and an alternative view about how debt covenant violations influence voluntary disclosure.