Advanced search

Effect of R&D investments on persistence of abnormal earnings

Sharad C. Asthana (Department of Accounting, Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA)
Yinqi Zhang (Department of Accounting, Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA)

Review of Accounting and Finance

ISSN: 1475-7702

Publication date: 1 April 2006

Abstract

Purpose

–

This paper sets out to test the effects of firms’ and industry's R&D intensity on persistence of abnormal earnings.

Design/methodology/approach

–

Ohlson's valuation model is used with pooled regressions along with Fama–Macbeth methodology on yearly regressions and partitioning on Herfindahl index to conduct the tests.

Findings

–

It was found that firms’ and industries’ R&D intensities are both positively correlated with persistence of abnormal earnings. The evidence suggests that the positive effect on earnings persistence caused by R&D's effectiveness in mitigating competition dominates the negative effect brought by more risk from R&D projects

Practical implications

–

The fact that the firm's own R&D investment leads to incremental earnings persistence beyond that of the industry suggests the importance of incorporating both industry and firm's R&D intensity in earnings persistence. While industry R&D investment leads to competition mitigation via creation of entry barriers, a firm's own investment in R&D differentiates its products from those of its competitors, and thereby results in further competition mitigation by creating replacement barriers.

Originality/value

–

Finally, since R&D intensity is correlated with earnings persistence, inclusion of R&D intensity in future earnings persistence studies may lead to better model specification by reducing the problem of correlated omitted variables.

Keywords

Citation

Asthana, S.C. and Zhang, Y. (2006), "Effect of R&D investments on persistence of abnormal earnings", Review of Accounting and Finance, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 124-139. https://doi.org/10.1108/14757700610668967

Download as .RIS

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

To read the full version of this content please select one of the options below

You may be able to access this content by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account.
To rent this content from Deepdyve, please click the button.
Rent from Deepdyve
If you think you should have access to this content, click the button to contact our support team.
Contact us
Manage cookies

We’re listening — tell us what you think

Join us on our journey