University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB)

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Browsing University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) by Subject "Accounting -- Effect of inflation on"

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    The association between inflation-adjusted accounting income and the behaviour of share prices
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 1992-12) Gevers, Willem Rudolf; Hamman, W. D.; Smit, E. v.d. M; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this dissertation the association between inflation-adjusted data and the behaviour of share prices is investigated. The primary purpose of this investigation is to make a contribution to the body of knowledge regarding share price behaviour, and more specifically with respect to the relationship between inflation accounting and the share market. The disclosure of inflation-adjusted data is not mandatory in South Africa, and few companies have disclosed supplementary current cost income statements. A somewhat larger number of companies make provision for inflation in their financial results by revaluing their assets and accounting for additional depreciation. Prior to 1984 a fair proportion of the companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange also used the LIFO method of inventory valuation. The disclosed inflation-adjusted data is very limited, necessitating the estimation of the inflation-adjusted data. To estimate the inflation adjustments, a number of inflation accounting models were developed based either on AC 201 or other suggestions found in the literature. These models were then applied to the financial results of listed industrial companies. In the first empirical analysis contained in this dissertation the inflation adjustments generated by the various models were compared to identify unique models for further use in the market related empirical work. From this analysis it was established that AC 201 is open to such a divergent interpretation that significantly different inflation adjustments are generated. From the literature reviewed, three research designs showed promise for application to the market related empirical analyses. The first design used was the event study which was used to evaluate the share market's reaction to the abolition of the tax benefits associated with the LIFO method of inventory valuation. The share market showed no significant reaction for a period of 21 weeks surrounding the announcement, making possible statements regarding the relative efficiency of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange impossible. It was, however, established that the research design used is very sensitive to sample formation, and it is recommended that special care should be used in market related studies to ensure that both operating and holding companies are not included in the same sample. The second research design used was the incremental information content design. Limited incremental information content was found in the inflation-adjusted income for companies which disclosed no inflation adjustments. For companies that did disclose some aspects of inflation accounting, the inflation-adjusted income was often the better explanatory variable of the residual share returns, but no incremental information content could be detected. Based on analyses performed on single years of data it was found that the inflation-adjusted income was as good an explanatory variable of the residual share returns as the historic cost variable. The final research design used was the income measurement perspective. It was found that in general the historic cost income behaved as expected, but the inflation adjustment to income seldom displayed any income measuring properties. The only inflation accounting model that displayed signs of income measurement properties contained as part of its adjustment unrealised holding gains on fixed assets. This could be a indication that the disclosure of unrealised holding gains could be useful. The lack of results found for AC 201 possibly points to its inadequacy. In general the relationship between the inflation-adjusted data and the share market was found to be very weak.