Abstract

This paper exploits the staggered adoption of anti-recharacterization laws across the U.S. states as quasi-natural experiments to study the role of creditor rights in affecting real earnings management. The empirical findings show that strengthening creditor rights significantly increases real earnings management in nonfinancial firms. This effect is more pronounced for firms with higher distress risk and weaker governance. Our findings are robust to a battery of sensitivity checks and reveal increased real earnings management as an unintended consequence of strengthening creditor rights.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.