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Non Gaap Metrics

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Introduction
The use of "tailored" accounting, also known as "non-GAAP" metrics has spread across many industries and is a common practice among many companies. Public companies in the United States are required to follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). When public companies report their quarterly earnings they must be in accordance with GAAP; however, companies may also include non-GAAP Metrics in their earnings report. Non-GAAP Metrics refer to earnings results provided by public companies that do not conform with GAAP. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC, 2002) defines a non-GAAP metric as an amount that:
"Excludes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding amounts, that are included …show more content…

Provided public companies follow these previously mentioned regulations over non-GAAP metrics they are currently in compliance with SEC …show more content…

Non-GAAP metrics can provide investors with extra information about the company, and can help communicate what earnings would have been had certain infrequent expenses not occurred during the accounting period. Non-GAAP metrics also creates risks and challenges for investors due its inherent risk given its susceptibility to management bias. Some of the risks include reduced comparability of companies within the same industry and altered investor perception of earnings trends in the market as a whole and for individual companies. The motive behind the increase in non-GAAP earnings is questionable and could be attributed to at least two distinct factors. The first factor is management's desire to provide investors with additional insight into the company, and to help investors identify core profitability by excluding certain infrequent expenses in the calculation of adjusted earnings. The second factor is related to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations involving executive compensation. According to (Balsam,

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