Results for ACCT

In general terms, financial accounting is the measurement of economic activity for decision-making. Financial statements are a key product of this measurement process and an important component of firms' financial reporting activities. In the past few years, financial accounting came to the forefront of the national consciousness as the stock market continued to decline amid faltering investor confidence. The crisis of confidence began with the revelation of accounting irregularities at some of the United States largest companies. However, the implications extended well beyond the effects of individual accounting or company failures: investors seemed to lose confidence in the integrity of the financial system as a whole. The capital markets, whose relative efficiency is based largely on the timely dissemination of relevant and reliable financial information, were at risk. Clearly, the importance of understanding accounting has never been so salient.nnThe objective of this course is not to train you to become an accountant but rather to help you develop into an informed user of financial statement information. While financial statement users face a wide variety of decisions, they are often interested in understanding the implications of financial statement information for the future cash flows and earnings potential of a firm. We will focus on understanding the mapping between underlying economic events and financial statements, and on understanding how this mapping affects inferences about future profitability. Because annual reports are somewhat formidable, we will spend time familiarizing ourselves with how firms present the information for various accounts in the financial statements, including the footnotes. We also will discuss the role of the various institutions involved in the reporting process. By understanding the environment in which financial reporting takes place you will be in a better position to evaluate critically the disclosures made by firms in published financial statements.nnThe following learning objectives will be emphasized: (1) familiarity with the transactions businesses engage in, (2) fluency in accounting terminology, (3) understanding the structure that maps transactions into accounting numbers, (4) understanding the rationale for various accounting methods, and (5) awareness of the judgment involved and the discretion allowed in choosing accounting methods, making estimates, and disclosing information in financial statements.

Managerial accounting refers to the preparation and use of information for internal planning, control, coordination, and performance evaluation purposes. This orientation contrasts with financial accounting where the focus is on accounting disclosures for parties external to the firm.nnnThe majority of the course covers the vocabulary and mechanics of cost accounting, issues involved in the design of an internal accounting system, and the role of accounting in decisions concerning resource allocation and performance measurement. Included in this are discussions of capacity costs, inter-departmental allocations, and activity-based management in manufacturing and service environments. We will pay particular attention to the trade-offs embedded in the choice of internal accounting systems, as well ways in which to attenuate the problems created by these trade-offs.nnnThe second part of the course examines the process of evaluating the performance of individuals, business units and firms. We will study the optimal choice of performance metrics for incentive purposes and the rationale behind the balanced scorecard, as well as the importance of designing appropriate transfer prices for intrafirm transactions.

This course develops students' ability to read, understand, and use corporate financial statements. The course is oriented toward the user of financial accounting data (rather than the preparer) and emphasizes the reconstruction and interpretation of economic events from published accounting reports. The course is geared toward students with some familiarity in dealing with financial statement information and allows for deeper coverage and discussion in class.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and tools of managerial accounting. The first part of the course demonstrates how management can rely on internal accounting information to measure and manage the profitability of individual products and customers. As part of that analysis, we examine alternative costing methods and illustrate how the resulting cost information can be used for decision making. The second part of the course focuses on the role of the internal accounting system in evaluating managerial performance and in coordinating the activities among business units within the firm. Our focus here will be on performance metrics that enable effective decentralization by aligning the objectives of individual business units with the overall corporate goals.

A characteristic of business is the extensive use of accounting data. The financial accounting course has the general objective of developing students' understanding of the nature, scope, and limitations of accounting information. To achieve this objective the course attempts to: (1) develop students' understanding of the conceptual accounting framework, including the objectives of financial reporting, and (2) develop students' ability to understand and critically evaluate the financial disclosures made by corporations. An issue of particular interest will be the managerial incentive aspects of accounting information and disclosures.

This course is designed to enhance students' understanding of current financial reporting issues through a detailed analysis and comparison of U.S. and International Financial Reporting Standards. The course will cover the development of accounting standards, implementation of these standards, and how to interpret output from these standards. The course highlights intermediate and advanced financial reporting topics including fair value accounting, asset securitization, consolidation including special purpose entities, foreign currency translation, derivatives and hedging, leases, revenue recognition, pensions, and equity compensation. The course also focuses on evaluating emerging financial reporting issues such as proposed financial reporting standards put forth by U.S. or international standard setting bodies. This course should help students better understand the environment governing global financial reporting and how firms develop financial statement information within this environment.

This course is structured to develop students' ability to interpret and use financial accounting information in equity valuation contexts. The perspective taken is that of an outsider relying on publicly available financial information for investment purposes, and builds heavily on the residual income framework for equity valuation. The first half of the course covers financial statement analysis-based tools for assessing a firm's current financial performance and economic condition, including traditional ratio analysis. The second half of the course introduces the accounting-based valuation framework, and develops the link between financial statement analysis, forecasting and valuation. This portion of the course focuses on techniques for forecasting specific income statement and balance sheet items, the creation of pro-forma financial statements, and the implementation of several accounting-based valuation models. The capstone to the course is the completion of a comprehensive equity valuation project. In addition to learning basic financial statement analysis tools and accounting-based valuation theory, students benefits from applying these tools and theories in the context of weekly cases and the final project. The course is structured for students to gain a deeper understanding of the economic pressures behind the analysis and valuation process by drawing upon and synthesizing concepts from microeconomics, corporate finance, corporate strategy, statistics and accounting. The course will be of value to those students who, as either senior managers or outsiders, anticipate making investment or credit decisions at least partially based on financial statement information.

This course covers various financial and economic issues related to mergers and acquisitions. For example, we review the financial reporting implications of business combinations (e.g., consolidation, the "acquisition" method), and income tax treatments of M&A transactions (e.g., taxable vs. non-taxable deals). We also examine corporate governance issues related to firms' decision to acquire or be acquired, the M&A regulatory environment (e.g., anti-trust), and other factors that can potentially shape the structure of M&A transactions. nnnIn covering these and other related issues, we will discuss both the theory and practice of mergers and acquisitions. To provide some specific context we will analyze specific M&A deals (e.g., the mergers of HP/Compaq, UpJohn/Pharmacia, and AOL/Time Warner; Oracle's hostlie takeover of PeopleSoft; and many more). In discussing these cases, we will examine the situation faced by the company, the issues surrounding the transaction, including the financial reporting implications, and focus on the managerial incentives and the judgment applied. We will also discuss some of the important strategies that underlay a successful negotiation. We will also review some of the related literatures in accounting, economic, and finance, to gain broader perspectives and insights into the financial issues associated with M&A transactions. Class time comprises mini lectures that introduce some of the more technical concepts, case discussions, and guest speakers who will offer additional perspectives on the subject matters.nnnThe course is co-taught by Ron Kasznik (GSB) and Safra Catz (Oracle Corporation). Ms. Catz is President of Oracle and a member of its Board of Directors. She has led Oracle through more than 50 acquisitions in recent years (including PeopleSoft, Siebel, BEA, and Sun Microsystems). Prior to joining Oracle in 1999, Ms. Catz was Managing Director at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, a global investment bank (now part of CSFB). Ms. Catz also serves on the board of directors for HSBC Holdings plc since 2008.

This is an advanced elective course focuses on the economics of active investing in equity markets. It is designed for students with a strong interest in equity investing, either personal or professional. In particular, it should be helpful to students with career aspirations in asset management, equity research, financial consulting, private equity, or investment banking.nnnOur basic premise is that stock prices are established through a risky arbitrage process that involves proper use of information. Together we will seek to better understand the types of the information that are useful for active investing in equity markets, as well as the risk:return trade-offs inherent in the informational arbitrage process.nnnThe course will cover some of the basic skills needed in active equity investing, including: quantitative stock selection, equity valuation, cash flow analysis, quality of earnings assessment, short-selling mechanics, the use of analyst-based forecasts & recommendations, as well as the monitoring & management of portfolio risk. Our overall goal is to improve student skills in filtering companies using large-sample stock screen, assessing the relative attractiveness of individual companies, and in managing portfolio risk. nnnThis is a hands-on course with an emphasis on experiential learning. Students will design stock screens, conduct back-tests, analyze financial statements, evaluate individual companies, and assess portfolio risk. We will also read a number of academic research studies and will seek to integrate the insights from these papers into our investment process. There is no final exam. However, there will be a number of individual cases and a final group project. nnnBecause it is an advanced elective, students taking this class are expected to be well versed in core economic, accounting, and finance skills. Material covered in a second Financial Modeling course, as well as in Accounting 312 (Evaluating Financial Statement Information) and Accounting 313 (Accounting-based Valuation) will come in handy.

This Bass seminar is designed to develop students' ability to interpret and use financial accounting information in credit and equity valuation contexts. The course will focus on valuing the securities of companies undergoing significant changes as a result of litigation, restructuring, regulatory changes, mergers, spin-offs or significant industry shifts. Throughout the course, students will (1) enrich their understanding of how alternative economic, legal, political and regulatory outcomes affect the value of various components of a company's capital structure and (2) develop their ability to apply financial statement analysis to assess the likelihood and valuation implications of the events of interest. nnnEvent-driven investing follows the life cycle of companies as they revamp their corporate structures in response to economic and regulatory environments. For example, in rising economic periods companies may undertake acquisitions or spin off divisions to enhance shareholder value. During adverse environments, bankruptcy and reorganizations often reshape the capital structure by offering opportunities to create value through the restructuring process. During economic transitions, debt and equity investors may make significantly different assessments of the quality of a company's earnings, its assets, and its likelihood to meet its debt obligations. To assess the probability of corporate events, investors must make judgments about the quality of a company's earnings and assets and understand how accounting policies may influence management's representations. Investors must also interpret how accounting policies function at various points in a firm's life cycle, influencing the quality of earnings for firms differently in different economic environments. nnnIn the first half of the course, we will develop the course framework, and apply it to illustrative cases. Companies featured in the cases include Tyco, AIG, PG&E, Fannie Mae and Bank of America. Students will interpret information from companies' public financial disclosures to assess the likelihood of different events or outcomes. The course will also feature readings on current accounting standards, articles from the popular press, publicly available financial statement information, and guest speakers with in-depth knowledge of investing strategies vis a vis the case companies. nnnThe latter half of the course will be devoted to project work, with students working in teams to develop an event-driven investing strategy. The aim is to allow students to conduct independent research on a company, industry, economic context, or financial reporting environment of particular interest. Students will develop their investment idea, articulate their sense of the possible outcomes for the components of the firm's capital structure, and explain how they have assessed the likelihood and valuation consequences of those outcomes. At the conclusion of the course, students will present their strategies to the class and a panel of expert judges.

The course will examine the academic and professional controversies surrounding corporate governance and executive compensation. A basic framework will be developed to integrate the many important dimensions of corporate governance in the U.S. and international settings. The institutional features of corporate governance and executive compensation will be documented using the professional business and legal literatures. In addition, the scientific research in accounting, economics, finance, and organizational behavior will be used to provide insights into the measurement and consequences of observed corporate governance and executive compensation choices. After successfully finishing the course, a student should be able to (i) understand the debates about appropriate choices for corporate governance and executive compensation and (ii) critically evaluate the implications of academic and professional research studies on these controversial issues.

The course is designed to introduce students to the unique institutional, corporate governance and transparency issues facing managers and investors in emerging economies, and the impact these issues have on assessment of firm performance and value. The goal of the class is to gain an understanding of how country-level institutional forces shape firm value in these countries, how to interpret published financial reports in this environment to identify the source of firm-level value creation, and to use your assessment of the firm to identify the primitive sources of the firm's risks and opportunities. Students will be expected to: (1) make one presentation (most likely as a part of a two person group) that explore one key dimension of analysis in an emerging economy (e.g., assessment of related party transactions; role of government intervention; importance of political connections; risk of expropriation; etc.); and (2) attend all five classes. Grades will be pass/fail.nnnProfessor Piotroski teaches the "Accounting-based Valuation" and "Valuation in Emerging Economies" courses at the GSB.

This course is aimed at doctoral students in accounting and neighboring fields including economics, finance, political economics and operations management. The course seeks to provide an introduction to the role of accounting information in (i) measuring firm performance, (ii) projecting profitability and firm value for external constituents, (iii) and motivating and controlling the firm's management. nn nnThe main topics covered in this course include:nnn1. Accrual Accounting and Profitability Measurementnn2. Accounting-based Equity Valuationnn3. Accounting Conservatismnn4. Performance Evaluation and Managerial IncentivesnnnThe primary objective of the course is to introduce students to current research paradigms on these topics and to identify promising avenues for future research. The course readings include recent theoretical and empirical papers.

Empirical Research on Financial Reporting: This doctoral-level course covers research on the role of accounting information in capital markets. The focus is on introducing students to key themes in empirical accounting and capital markets research, and to key research designs applied to examine information-related questions. Course topics include market efficiency, limits to arbitrage, the role of accounting in providing information to investors, anomalies, alternative sources of information, bankruptcy prediction, accounting measurement attributes, earnings management, earnings quality, and the role of accounting information in managers' investment decisions.nnnThe course is interdisciplinary in nature. The readings focus on research design, and key theories, themes and approaches from the finance, economics and accounting literature. Our overall goal is not only to review existing research, but also to identify new research opportunities.

This course examines a range of modeling paradigms that are used in several management disciplines including accounting, finance and operations management. Common to these models is that they employ methods from information economics including screening, incomplete contracting, signaling and voluntary disclosure. The methodological tools introduced in this course are then applied to a variety of topics including capital budgeting, internal pricing, supplier relations, financial reporting, earnings management and financial analysts.

The purpose of this PhD seminar is to facilitate your conception and execution of substantive individual research in financial reporting. It provides a vehicle for supplementing and integrating your knowledge of basic research tools and methods, as well as an exposure to the dimensions of contemporary research in the field of financial reporting. The focus of the research we will discuss in this seminar is on global financial reporting. Such research encompasses studies dealing with contemporary financial reporting issues as well as research addressing issues relating to the globalization of financial reporting. Because these issues are also of concern to financial reporting standard setters, we will discuss whether and how the research we study informs standard setting debates. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.

This course examines selected topics in accounting research. The course features four faculty who will each give a focused look at a given area, introduce students to important questions in that area, key papers in the related literature, and critical aspects of the research designs applied in the area. The aim is to increase student's familiarity with empirical accounting research, their ability to critically evaluate research and research designs, and to prepare students to conduct independent research.

The course will consist of three set of topics. The first part of the class will examine a set of applied econometric topics that are useful in empirical accounting research. Each of these topics will be illustrated using contemporary examples from accounting, economics, and finance. The second part of the class will cover some of the basic theoretical work in moral hazard agency models and various extensions to this type of research. The final part of the course will discuss the empirical literature on corporate governance and executive compensation. The course will be taught in a seminar style and students will be required to develop a series of research projects on the topics covered in the class.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.