BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM Formatted: Centered ADVANCED PROGRAM GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC: AN APPLICATION OF M-SCORE MODEL TO IDENTIFY EARNING MANIPULATION ON LISTED COMPANIES Student : LE HOANG TU Class : K22CLCB Course : 2019-2023 Student ID : 22A4010033 Instructor : Dr. Nguyen Thi Le Thanh Ha Noi, May 2023 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT During the three months from the onset of research to the final version of this thesis, I received endless care and support from lecturers, colleagues, friends and family surrounding. To be achieved successfully, I would like to express my gratitude toward Banking of Academy and Advanced Program that created ideal environment to nurture not only my practical skills but also fundamental characteristics, so I could apply for my long- term journey in general, and this study in particular. My mentor, Mrs Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, is enthusiasm and devoted.
She provided me timely and helpful instruction throughout the process, so I could fulfill my mission. I also share the genuine appreciation on my family and friends who have gone hand in hand in my every steps. Hanoi, 22th22nd May 2023 Signature Le Hoang Tu i DECLERATION I, LE HOANG TU, assure that this graduation thesis with the title “AN APPLICATION OF M-SCORE MODEL TO IDENTIFY EARNING MANIPULATION ON PUBLIC LISTED COMPANIES” is completed by my entire effort and dedication. No supporting resources to the completion of this paper workpaperwork was used for previous submission.
Except some parts of this thesis are applied to form a base knowledge, andknowledge and referred author’s identity explicitly. Hanoi, 22th22nd May 2023 Signature Le Hoang Tu ii LIST OF CONTENT LIST OF A TABLE. Statement of the problem. Rationale for this study.
Aims and objectives. Methodology and the scope of the study. 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. Research gap for this study.
8 CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL BASIS. The concept of earning manipulation. Definitions of earning manipulation. Motives for earning manipulation.
The history and the formulation of Beneish model. 14 CHAPTER 4: DATA AND METHODOLOGY. 20 CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION. M-score for industries.
Companies with modified audit opinion. Formatted: Default Paragraph Font, Font: Not Bold, LIST OF TABLE. iv Check spelling and grammar iii LIST OF A TABLES Table Page Table 4. Listed Companies by sectors 18 Table 5.
The probability of earning manipulation (M-score > -1. M-score of Companies given modified opinion in three consecutive 24 years Table 5. M-score for year t and year t-1 27 Formatted: Tab stops: 1.59", Left + Not at 3.79" iv Formatted: Not Different first page header FOREWORD Financial statements provide key economic and financial information to assess the Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5" situation and results of production and business activities, the financial status of an enterprise in the past operating period, and help controlling, monitoring the use of capital and the ability to mobilize capital for production activities of enterprises. A financial statement is also an important reference tool for constructing economic, technical and financial plans of enterprises, which are the basis for setting out a system of definitive measures to enhance the effectiveness of management, value of the enterprise, constantly improving the efficiency of capital use, production and business efficiency, and increasing profits for enterprises.
Because of the essentiality of financial statements, it is not only evaluated and used by the business itself, but also by many other readers such as distributors, investors, creditors, banks, etc. However, in some practical cases, financial statements become a tool for information providers to harm the interests of other parties due to information asymmetry. Therefore, assessing the truthfulness and fairness of the information in the financial statements is an important task, helping the financial information become useful in accordance with its intended use. This thesis applies the Beneish model, one of the methods that has been widely used in the world, to assess the ability to identify manipulation of financial statements for listed companies in Vietnam market.
Statement of the problem In the market-based economy, financial information has been an indispensable tool Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.39" onfor making business and investment decision. Hence, knowledge quality shown on financial report is extremely vital, impacting directly to information user. In fact, during the operation, listed companycompanies are favor of showing beautifully accounting data instead of the real position. Misstated or asymmetrical information leading false direction caused devastating consequences to various users, including entrepreneurs, business owner, creditors, investors, etc ,…For listed companies, accounting knowledge required highest quality because of some reasons: types of information acquirers are complex and diversified, in terms of quantity and level; the large number of shareholders move continuously; observing and reflecting equity and earning position become more difficult; information publication must obey more rigid requirement compared to unlisted firms.
Therefore, the target to save the whole market transparent should be put on priority. So far, the globe has raised many concerns regarding financial fraud, impactedimpacting on a wide range of market participants. It was unimaginable that not only about economic losses sparked from those deception but also how sophisticated those were carried out. Especially, Enron Scheme occurred in 2001, with the engagement of Arthur Andersen, the top 5 biggest audit firm, left people many questions about the responsibility of independent party which ensure fairness and transparency on the market.
In pursuit of own benefits, insiders consisting of Board of Management, employee, controlling shareholders or auditors take advantage of holding information, to manipulate financial result for their own purposes. Similar to the popularity in the global economy, there were some cases in Vietnam such as Vien Dong Pharmacy (2011), Viet Nhat Medical Equipment (2015), Truong Thanh Wood (2016). It failed to uncover those fraudfrauds because of many explanations, but mainly Formatted: English (United States) 2 came from auditing step. Also, Vietnam accounting system just started to follow and apply the global standard, and ability to manage the standard is still limited.
Additionally, the legal system has not catched up with the rapid improvement from financial market. For these reasons above, existing weakness in the market is inevitable. To conclude, aside from indigenous macro policy and market improvement, exploring and finding new ways to detect risk when utilizing and analyzing financial report would be a big topic to deep in, so users would be able to make more precious decision. Rationale for this study Accounting manipulation havehas been most mentioned across various academic Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.39" research from decades ago.
Specifically, a company manipulates earningearnings means that it violates the accounting rules and principles. It covers various types of earning management over the boundary of global and national accounting standardstandards and an intervention in the external financial reporting process with the aims of gaining some private bonus. Even though some practices were committed as a fraudfraud, others comply legally with financial reporting standard and laws. As a result, there are still rooms for firms to control their earning since accounting standard failed to cover the full of behavior.
There were some researches before involving financial manipulation. One of them basedis based on accruals accounting and introduced by De Angelo, Healy and Jones. They added a new dimension to the literature of manipulation in financial information by examining the link between discretionary accruals and audit qualifications. Spathis (2002) made use of logistic regression model based on ten variables associated with ratios of asset, earning, cash flow and financial distress.
However, the most well-known study introduced by Beneish, “The detection of earnings manipulation” (1999). Since then, other researchers followed that foundation to build their own study successfully. Those studies consent that all related parties could incorporate Beneish Model to perform earning estimation, to have assurance that financial statement are free from material manipulation. 3 Based on firmthe firm’s prior researches, M-score model has been recognized as an effective tool when applying on wide range of market.
Although there were several researches applied on Vietnam companies, they did not go deeply on the reasonable basis but only giving M-score result and conclusions. Therefore, there is a need for this study to analyze the reason behind the M-score number, andnumber and evaluate the effectiveness of model by comparing numerical results to real events. Aims and objectives The main targetstargets of this research is are to provide useful insight on manipulating probability carried out by HOSE and HNX listed companies via financial reports, as following steps: (1) The comparison and explanation of M-score results among industries (2) Discrepancy between M-score numbers and audits’ opinions and the evaluation of the model effectiveness. (3) The M-score effectiveness based on several factual cases that were famously mentioned on mediain the media by performing material manipulation.
Methodology and the scope of the study Methodology: This study gauges the appropriateness of eight factors Beneish model by applying on listed companies on identifying earning manifest. (1) this research calculates M-score across sections and makes clear explanation for those numbers; (2) M-score is used to judge the probability of indicator’s effectiveness according to companies given qualified audit’s opinion, (3) the components of Beneish model were analyzed to check whether M-score correctly determines a real event or not. The scope of the study: This study covers all listed companies on Ho Chi Minh and Ha Noi Stock exchange. All financial information collected is from audited report, except the final part that I add unaudited numbers to support observations.
Financial inputs to calculate M-score limit in the period of 2019 to 2022. Research structure 4 This research is divided into 5 chapter as follows: Chapter I. Introduction: States the problems and rationale for this study; defines aims and objectives; introduces methodology and the scope of the study; builds the research structure. Literature review: mentions previous related researches regarding authors, methodology and results; and bridges to this study Chapter III.
Theoretical basis: introduce some concept of earning manipulation and the Beneish modelmodel. Data and methodology: introducesintroduce target of research and how to get those results Chapter V. Analysis and Discussion:Discussion states and analyzes the results including three subsections. 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Profit is one of the most important spot on the financial report that every viewer have to look at as evaluating a company.
The positive outlook of a company depends on data shown in financial statements so managers have motive to drive earnings towardin their directions. Although accounting standard frames managers and accountants to obey specifically accepted principles, but it also leaves certain black space for data controllers to choose accounting methods and make estimations which positively reflect the financial condition of a firm. Thus, it misleads stakeholders or other information users. International researches Exploration of the ongoing earning manipulation have been discussed for many years, with the vast models and methodologies applied such as the Jones model, the Modified Jones model, the earnings distribution model, Z-score Model and the M-score Model.
Among those, the M-score Model is one of the most popular methods which has been used and recognized to be a helpful detective tool. Messod Daniel Beneish (1999) was the pioneer who went deeply and discovered a new application on financial report. His research entitled “The detection of earning manipulation” found a way to identify falsified financial statements, studied a sample of 74 US companies for 10 years (1982-1992) and devised a mathematical model that distinguish manipulated from nonmanipulated companies. The resultsresult of the study shows that Beneish found the characteristics of manipulated financial statement such as unreasonable increase in receivables, a decrease in gross profit and asset, an increase in sales growth, and an increase in accruals.
Beneish admitted the limitation that the distortion might not come from manipulation, or the model was analyzed on public companies and might not be applied to private companies. The M- score model was firstlyfirst exploited and it could predict about half of the chosen companies involved in earnings manipulation. 6 Then, various researchers across the globe have also agreed the effectiveness of the model by applying it on their own.