Latin American Banking Institutions Trading on NewYork Stock Exchange: Convergence–Divergence of Latin American Accounting Standards and US GAAP

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study is to analyze the degree of de facto harmonization and convergence between the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) of Latin American banking institutions and US banking institutions. We examine 20-F reports of all Latin American credit institutions which quoted shares on the New York Stock Exchange during the period 1998–2003. We also examine the bank financial reporting regulatory environment for three countries. The results show an emerging harmonization between many areas of financial reporting. However, for some areas, there has been little convergence. Also, movement toward harmonizing bank reporting standards has been slow. Thus, there is a need to continue efforts at harmonization in order to reduce the degree of discretion in financial reporting.