Management of Note Disclosures: The Case of Unconsolidated Subsidiaries Prior to FAS No. 94

Abstract

Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Number 94 (FAS 94) requires that firms consolidate all majority-owned subsidiaries, including those that were previously exempt from consolidation requirements due to the dissimilarity of parent/subsidiary operations. Prior to FAS 94, firms disclosed summary information on unconsolidated subsidiaries in their notes. This research demonstrates that, although the overall sample is unbiased, pre–FAS 94 note disclosures were insufficient to enable users to obtain an accurate picture of consolidated leverage for a number of firms. The research also illustrates that firms that underreported subsidiary debt had significantly higher consolidated leverage (as measured using pre–FAS 94 note disclosures) than other firms and that the market appeared to have relied on these inaccurate disclosures in assessing firm value.

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