Deferred revenue changes as a leading indicator for future financial performance: Evidence from China

Document Type

Article

Department or Administrative Unit

Finance and Supply Chain Management

Publication Date

12-4-2017

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether deferred revenue changes can serve as a leading indicator for firms listed on China’s stock markets, and whether China’s market participants can appropriately incorporate future performance implications of deferred revenue changes.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical/archival/regression analysis.

Findings

The authors find that deferred revenue changes are positively associated with the next two years’ sales growth, gross profit margin, profit margin, and return on assets, suggesting that deferred revenue changes can serve as a valid leading indicator for future financial performance. The authors also find that Chinese investors tend to underweight future performance implications of deferred revenue changes.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first research to examine deferred revenue changes as a leading fundamental indicator and market underreaction to reported accounting information for firms listed on China’s stock markets.

Comments

This article was originally published in Asian Review of Accounting. The full-text article from the publisher can be found here.

Due to copyright restrictions, this article is not available for free download from ScholarWorks @ CWU.

Journal

Asian Review of Accounting

Rights

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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