An analysis of the comparability of financial statements of listed companies in Singapore

• Main Authors: Loong, Chong Chee, Lian, Lee Siew, Jee, Low Chuan
• Other Authors: Nanyang Business School
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business::Accounting
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/55527
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study aims to detennine the degree of comparability of financial statements from 1983 to 1992 in each of the three respective industries -- Banking and Finance, Hotel and Property, as well as to assess the extent to which financial statements published by the listed companies from 1983 to 1992 are comparable. The interest in this area of study was aroused mainly due to the importance of having comparable financial statements in helping users to make investments decisions as stressed by many authoritative bodies of accounting. Similar studies on comparability of financial statements have been carried out in other countries like the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. But, such studies have yet been conducted in Singapore. The relevant sections of the Statements of Accounting Standards (SASs), Singapore's Companies Act as well as the Exposure Drafts (issued by the Institute of Accounting Standards Committee under the Comparability Project) provided the necessary infonnation for this study. Apart from these sources, additional information were obtained from accountingrelated journals, magazines and books. The annual reports of the selected listed companies form the primary data for the analysis.This study focuses on eight accounting policies, namely inventory valuation, depreciation of fixed assets, construction contracts, income tax, foreign currency translation, valuation of long and short term investments, and; investments in associates. A statistical method, known as Hirschrnan-Herfindahl Index (H index), was used in analysing the collected data. The H index is a numerical figure which measures the degree of concentration on one or a limited number of accounting alternatives, that is to measure the comparability of financial statements. From the analysis, it was found that the comparability of financial statements of Singapore listed companies in respect of the eight accounting policies was high from 1983 to 1992. The contributing factor for such high degree of comparability is due to the SASs which influence the choice of accounting method adopted by companies.