Ownership Structure, Earnings Quality and Market Assessment

This research is motivated by the move towards self- regulation for the Malaysian capital market. Against a background of companies' ownership structure that allegedly exacerbates the separation of ownership and control conflict, and that possibly limits transparency of information to the public, this research examines if such ownership structure leads to lower earnings quality. And if indeed the market is self-regulating this research examines if the market is assessing earnings quality and the elements of governance; ownership structure, audit committee and substantial shareholding, by requiring a certain return, the cost of equity, where accordingly these elements are perceived to be an information risk. There is a fairly strong evidence of market assessment of earnings quality and substantial shareholding, a market mechanism. However market seems to be indifferent with ownership structure and rule based monitoring, i.e. the audit committee. This finding has an important implication on the relative spending of resources by regulators on market and rule based mechanisms.