Forward-Looking Information Disclosure and Corporate Governance: Empirical Evidence from Year 2013 Listed Firms in Ghana

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the influence of corporate governance on the disclosure of forward looking information by firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The forward-looking information used in this study were obtained from statements made for management in either the Managing Director or Board Chairman’s reports regarding future operating outcomes. The results of the extent of disclosure of forward looking information, mean of 35%, indicate that most of the firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange did not disclose sufficient forward looking information in their annual reports. The low level (35%) of forward looking information disclosure will also make it very difficult for the firms’ stakeholders to determine future performance of the company. In a country where corruption, even within the judiciary, is high one way of hiding corrupt practices is to hide information from the users of the financial reports. The results of the regression analysis indicate that board ownership concentration is the significant variable that explain the level of forward looking information disclosure.