Comparability of accounting choices in the statement of cash flow: Evidence from Brazil

Abstract

Our objective was to determine comparability levels among the accounting choices in the Statements of Cash Flows (SCF) of Brazilian public companies and to discover factors that could explain these choices. Accounting choices were analyzed for the disclosure of the following SCF items: interest expense, interest income, income tax and social contribution on net profits, dividends, interest on own capital received, dividends and interest on own capital paid. The Herfindahl index (H index) was used to calculate comparability and logistic regression to identify variables that could affect the classification of SCF items. We found high levels of comparability for the classification of interest income, moderate for dividends and interest on own capital paid and low for the interest expense, income tax and social contribution, dividends and interest on own capital received. The H index was low in 2010 but increased gradually over time, suggesting improvements in the quality of accounting information. We also found evidence that the size of the Brazilian public company, indebtedness, profitability, book-to-market, and negative operating cash flows affected the choice of item classification in SCF. These results may be useful for accounting choice theory since they suggest that Brazilian listed companies use accounting choices to manage cash flows.