Audit firm exchange effect on earnings management in listed companies brazilian companies

Abstract

The objective of this study is to verify the effect of the exchange of audit firm on earnings management level of Brazilian companies listed on the BM&FBovespa. We conducted a descriptive with a quantitative approach by means of information retrieval. The research population comprised the Brazilian listed companies listed on the BM&FBovespa from 2010 to 2016. Panel data regression was used. The findings showed that the GROWTH variables (percentage changes in sales) and TURN (sales divided by total assets at the end of the year) were significant at the level of 99%, which allows us to state that these impacts the earnings management in the sample in the analyzed period. On the other hand, other variables SIZE (natural logarithm of total assets), LEV (total liabilities divided by total shareholders’ equity at the end of the year), DISSUE (percentage of changes in total liabilities), CF (annual net cash operating activities divided by total assets at the end of the year), AUD (company audited by audit firm Big Four or not) and TROFIRAUD exchange (auditing firm) were not significant.