Does Mandatory Adoption of IFRS Have Similar Economic Consequences across Country Classification? A Cross-Sample Comparison of Developed Versus Developing Countries

Abstract

This study examines the economic consequences of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption from firm and country level perspective, and across country classification (developing vs. developed economy). Using a global sample of firms from 59 countries spanning from 1993-2016, and applying difference-in-differences design, we analyze the induced changes in the cost of equity/debt capital following IFRS adoption. We find that mandatory adopters in developing countries are more likely to experience significant decreases in the cost of capital in the post-adoption period than firms in developed countries. Furthermore, we find that this is also the case if the firms are located in countries that exhibit low governance quality. In developed countries, IFRS adoption seems most beneficial to firms which are located in strong shareholder protection regimes, whereas high governance quality does not show positive effects. On country level, however, we do not find evidence that mandatory IFRS adopters experience a decrease in the cost of debt in the post adoption period, neither for developing nor for developed countries. Overall, our findings suggest positive economic consequences of mandatory IFRS adoption for firms in developing countries, even if these countries exhibit weaknesses in institutional settings.