In 2002, it was reported that the number of restatement announcements due to financial reporting fraud &/or accounting errors grew significantly between Jan. 1997 & June 2002, negatively impacting the restating companies¿ market capitalization by billions of dollars. The author was asked to update key aspects of the 2002 report. This report discusses: (1) the number of, reasons for, & other trends in restatements; (2) the impact of restatement announcements on the restating companies¿ stock costs & what is known about investors¿ confidence in U.S. capital markets; & (3) regulatory enforcement actions involving accounting- & audit-related issues. Includes recommendations. Charts & tables.

Abraham's name appears first on the earlier edition.

This book examines (1) concentration in the market for public company audits, (2) the potential for smaller accounting firms' growth to ease market concentration, and (3) proposals that have been offered by others for easing concentration and the barriers facing smaller firms in expanding their market shares.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.