The relevance of the information about intangibles: Some determinants

Abstract

This study treats the issue of the relevance of the accounting information about intangibles (assets and expenditures). Our findings show that the relevance is found and determined by the introduction of other information. This information represents the financial constraints as motivation of manipulation and the implication degree of managers due to granted stocks options. Under low level of financial constraints, the investor judges that the value of intangibles assets recognized in the balance sheet is reliable but this information remains widely insufficient to modify its valuation. However, this low level transmit to the market a signal of the failure of the R&D projects because it is predicted that these projects will be unable to realize sufficient future cash flows to honor the financial commitments of the company. Besides, we found that the information about recognized intangible assets and R&D expenditures is well appreciated by the market for the firms which grant more stocks options. So, the granting of stocks options represents a signal to the market on the efficiency of the managers and their implication in the risk of the committed investments.