Market Reaction to the Adoption of Ifrs in Europe

In 2014, a study from PricewaterhouseCoopers pointed that American investors are looking over-seas’ capital market for investment opportunities, and foreign investors are also looking for investing opportunities in America. According to the research from PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2014, an estimates shows that there are around seven trillion US dollars are invested in foreign stock markets, and American markets are open to non-US firms too. Many of the foreign companies use IFRS rule without any reconciliation to GAAP.

In September 2002 the IASB and the FASB agreed to work together, in consultation with other national and regional bodies, to remove the differences between international standards and US GAAP. (Dorata, 2008) However, the convergence of IFRS and FASB is coming to the end. (Golden, 2013)

Access to capital markets in United Kingdom is easy after the adoption of IFRs. Public capital markets play an important role in financing the activities of non-financial companies in the United Kingdom, providing them with the main option to bank loans and private sources of finance. These set of international accounting standards helped reduce the information processing and auditing costs to the UK’s market participants. With the help of adoption of IFRS it is expected to lower information costs to capital markets, and the UK

Nicolas Pologeorgis. (2016). The Impact Of Combining The U.S. GAAP And IFRS | Investopedia. Retrieved on October 2, 2016, from

Over a decade ago, it was believed that the whole world would likely adopt the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). At the point in time, the International Financial reporting Standards (IFRS) was only about ten years old. In the last decade, the IFRS has been adopted in many growing countries. Currently, it is anticipated that the U.S. will converge its GAAP with the international IFRS, leaving behind only a modified IFRS. This may occur as early as 2014.

A set of internationally recognized accounting standards facilitates capital flows across borders. Globally accepted standards make financial information readily comparable for its users. Foreign investors are more inclined to put money into a U.S. company if they are familiar with the company’s financial reporting. Conversely, U.S. investors will find it easier and less risky to invest in foreign companies when they know the local accounting standards (Epstein 2009). This will make U.S. companies and capital markets more competitive, since it saves costly reconcilition of different standards. Preparers, investors, auditors, and others will benefit from these cost effieciencies, since a Results of an IFAC Survey among accounting leaders around the world with respect to the importance of convergence to International Financial Reporting Standards for economic growth in their countries:

The SEC has several aspects to consider when it comes to the adoption of IFRS in the United States. First, the SEC should consider the overall costs impact this will have on businesses. It is likely that it would cost billions of dollars in new reporting expenses for U.S corporations to implement IFRS. It would also require accounting firms to vastly change their education requirements. Second, the SEC’s main job is to protect investors from fraud on public exchanges. The commission must determine whether IFRS does a better job of protecting investors from unlawful activity.

businesses remains bleak. Unfortunately, a single set of standards is desired by many groups across the globe, and it could be the best way to compare GAAPs across the globe. In an April 2015 study published by Tel Aviv University, researchers compared underpricing of IPO firms in countries that use IFRS to IPO firms that used domestic GAAP. This study found that “IFRS adoption can generate a positive externality by enhancing comparability, but only when coupled with high-quality enforcement or strong firm-level reporting incentives.” This indicates that while some countries would not experience improved comparability from IFRS adoption as a result of systemic corruption, the United States still has potential to reap the benefits from adoption, in spite of concerns from private

On February 24, the SEC unanimously agreed to publish a statement of continued support for a single set of high-quality global accounting standards. The SEC acknowledged that IFRS is best positioned to be the global standard. Even without a set conversion timeline from the SEC, IFRS has been affecting

Acceptance of IFRS also helps to enhance the comparability of financial statements, making it easier for large international corporates’ subsidiaries located in different countries to compare their financial statements with each other, achieving cost efficiency and time saving in management. (Small Business - Chron.com, 2015). Besides that, adoption of IFRS may help to remove the trading barrier that let the companies to access to the international capital markets and investments easier (Jordan, 2013), (Small Business - Chron.com, 2015). In summary, standardisation of accounting standards will increase the quality of information, eventually, eventually will help the investors to make better investing decision (Jordan, 2013).

Over the last decade, the way in which financial reporting is carried out has seen some significant advancements. One of the most momentous changes has been the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which have been adopted broadly throughout the world, with one major exception, the United States. Before accounting standards can be considered truly global, this exception has to be resolved. The prospect of such an occurrence took massive strides in 2002, when the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB); responsible for standard-setting in the US, announced their intention to work alongside the IASB in order to converge IFRS with US GAAP. For the first time, a truly global set of accounting standards seemed a

Globalization has a great impact on today’s economy. The differences of accounting regulations and practices in various countries have become a noteworthy obstacle to globalization and economic development. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) mitigates global business barriers. In order to adapt to the increasingly global business environment, public companies in Canada will move to IFRS by 2011. This movement will have a significant influence on Canadian business such as capital markets, financial statement preparers, the accounting profession, and even accounting students. Investors are eager to

The Final Staff Report is completed by the SEC Staff to summarize the discussions of six main concerns related to the consideration of IFRS adoption into the Accounting System in the United States. The Staff focuses on collecting opinions from public reviewers who are professional in different fields, from outreaching specific commenters for asking relative concerns, and from scheduling meetings with professionals such as investors, regulators, and issuers to communicate about opinions of incorporating IFRS in the U.S. and rising attentions.

Another challenge convergence faces is the fact that under IFRS, there are little industry-specific standards, which has led many commentators to voice “concerns about how IFRS would impact their particular industry” (AICPA, 2009). Other critics have voiced concerns regarding the uncertainty surrounding funding for the IASB as it’s “largely funded through voluntary contributions from a wide variety of participants across the world’s capital markets. The concern with that model is that it leaves the IASB open to the perception that organizations that provide funding could try to influence the accounting standards” (SIAC, 2012). This observation questions whether there is true independence of the IASB and the integrity of its standard-setting process.

International Accounting Standards (IAS) in effect since 2002 and International Board (IASB) together, provides the conceptual framework of financial reporting in the UK, in effect as of 2005. They have been working together to meet International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by International Finance Committee (IFC) which have been endorsed by the EU. IFRS uses a principles approach designed to provide flexibility, transparency and comparability allowing a robust system in providing investors with relevant and reliable financial data, Randy, M (2014). In this essay, countries such as China and the US will be used as examples where the impacts, strengths and weaknesses will be analysed by comparing and contrasting their progress. As a result, a judgement will be made of which country has progressed well in converging to the standards and whether benefits can be seen to the country as a whole.