Does Recognition Versus Disclosure Affect Debt Contract Design? Evidence from SFAS 158

Download or read book Does Recognition Versus Disclosure Affect Debt Contract Design? Evidence from SFAS 158 written by John Donovan and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We study how recognition versus disclosure affects the control function of accounting through the use of debt covenants. While research shows that recognition affects the value-relevance of reported amounts, the effect on contracting is unclear. We examine whether covenants changed around SFAS 158 adoption, which required recognition of previously disclosed pension liabilities. We find that pension underfunding is negatively associated with the use of capital (i.e., balance sheet) covenants prior to recognition. Post-SFAS 158, pension underfunding is associated with a higher likelihood of using capital covenants relative to the pre-period. We find no evidence that SFAS 158 alters the use of income statement covenants. Additional analysis suggests a decrease in cost of debt with no corresponding change in credit risk. Collectively, the evidence suggests that recognition enables more effective allocation of control through the use of covenants because financial statements better represent the financial condition of the borrower.