This book is concerned with the financial accounting and reporting of publicly owned corporations to their shareholders. It examines the origins of financial accounting and reporting, external influences on accounting and reporting practices as well as the measurement process.

The importance of moving toward high-quality, global standards of accounting and auditing has never been clearer. In the midst of the global financial and economic crisis, the leaders of the Group of 20 met and issued their Declaration on Strengthening the Financial System , placing significant emphasis on sound accounting and auditing standards as a critical piece of the international financial architecture. Transparent and reliable corporate financial reporting underpins much of the Latin America and Caribbean development agenda, from private-sector-led growth to enhanced financial stability, facilitating access to finance for small and medium enterprises, and furthering economic integration. For nearly 10 years, the World Bank has prepared diagnostic Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs) on Accounting and Auditing (A and A) at the country level. In Latin America and the Caribbean, ROSC A and A reports have been completed for 17 countries. This book takes a step back and seeks to distill lessons from a regional perspective. 'Accounting for Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean' is the first book to examine financial reporting and auditing in the region in a systematic way, drawing on the World Bank s years of experience and analysis in this area. The book is designed to inform the policy dialogue on accounting and auditing issues among government officials, the accounting profession, the private sector, academia, and civil society in LAC countries. It also seeks to disseminate the lessons learned to key players at the international and regional level, including the donor community, in order to generate momentum for reform of accounting and auditing throughout the region.

Corporate Financial Reporting Analysis combines comprehensive coverage and a rigorous approach to modern financial reporting with a readable and accessible style. Merging traditional principles of corporate finance and accepted reporting practices with current models enable the reader to develop essential interpretation and analysis skills, while the emphasis on real-world practicality and methodology provides seamless coverage of both GAAP and IFRS requirements for enhanced global relevance. Two decades of classroom testing among INSEAD MBA students has honed this text to provide the clearest, most comprehensive model for financial statement interpretation and analysis; a concise, logically organized pedagogical framework includes problems, discussion questions, and real-world case studies that illustrate applications and current practices, and in-depth examination of key topics clarifies complex concepts and builds professional intuition. With insightful coverage of revenue recognition, inventory accounting, receivables, long-term assets, M&A, income taxes, and other principle topics, this book provides both education and ongoing reference for MBA students.

As a result of the global convergence of financial reporting standards, U.S. GAAP is changing profoundly. U.S. GAAP is also being abandoned by many public and private companies, and will eventually be replaced by a higher-quality set of global standards. The Convergence Guidebook for Corporate Financial Reporting provides the timely, practical guidance that CFOs, controllers, and other financial managers need in order to prepare for the impact of Convergence on their companies, departments, and careers. Guidebook readers will also learn why they must begin preparing for "the next big challenge in corporate financial reporting" now.

An innovative new valuation framework with truly useful economic indicators The End of Accounting and the Path Forward for Investors and Managers shows how the ubiquitous financial reports have become useless in capital market decisions and lays out an actionable alternative. Based on a comprehensive, large-sample empirical analysis, this book reports financial documents' continuous deterioration in relevance to investors' decisions. An enlightening discussion details the reasons why accounting is losing relevance in today's market, backed by numerous examples with real-world impact. Beyond simply identifying the problem, this report offers a solution—the Value Creation Report—and demonstrates its utility in key industries. New indicators focus on strategy and execution to identify and evaluate a company's true value-creating resources for a more up-to-date approach to critical investment decision-making. While entire industries have come to rely on financial reports for vital information, these documents are flawed and insufficient when it comes to the way investors and lenders work in the current economic climate. This book demonstrates an alternative, giving you a new framework for more informed decision making. Discover a new, comprehensive system of economic indicators Focus on strategic, value-creating resources in company valuation Learn how traditional financial documents are quickly losing their utility Find a path forward with actionable, up-to-date information Major corporate decisions, such as restructuring and M&A, are predicated on financial indicators of profitability and asset/liabilities values. These documents move mountains, so what happens if they're based on faulty indicators that fail to show the true value of the company? The End of Accounting and the Path Forward for Investors and Managers shows you the reality and offers a new blueprint for more accurate valuation.