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Agency problems and audit fees:
further tests of the free cash flow
hypothesis


                   TEAM PRESENTATION
                           WANG QI 42272645
                            GUO LIN 41948807
                            YU NING 41430581
                         JI DANDAN 42322723
OUTLINE


 Main Aim         Three                 Difficulties    Conclusions and
                  Objectives                            limitations
 • Introduction                         • Explanation
   of the main    • Demonstration         of            • Conclusions
   aim              of three              hypotheses      of this paper
                    objectives
                                          in detail
                                                        • limitations/Ar
                  • Hypotheses                            eas need
                    raised in                             future
                    relation to these
                    objectives                            improvement
MAIN AIM
Provide further evidence on whether the audit fees vary in
 relation to the agency problems in high FCF companies




Specifically, test whether high FCF companies with low
 growth/high growth prospects have higher audit fees and
 which mechanisms can mitigate the agency cost.
THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES

   1st objective: test the audit fees/high FCF
    relationship

   Hypothesis 1 : Audit fees for high FCF
    companies > low FCF companies’ audit fees.
THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES
   2nd objective: test whether debt is acting as a
    monitoring mechanism that can reduce audit fees for
    these high FCF companies

   Hypothesis 2: Audit fees for high FCF companies
      low levels of debt > high levels of debt.
THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES
   3rd objective: whether dividend and share
    repurchase can mitigate audit fees

   Hypothesis 3: Audit fees for high FCF companies
     low level of dividends > high level of dividends
     low share repurchase > high share repurchase
DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

FCF hypothesis
          Underlying assumption:
               self-interest


          Managers invest in non-
         value maximizing projects



          Lower level of efficiency
DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

Debt -monitoring hypothesis

   funds available to managers

   debt holders monitor managers’ behaviors

   debt covenant
DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

   Audit fees     relationship  FCF Hypothesis
( Increase with higher audit risk & audit efforts)

        High FCF/Low
                                 High FCF/High growth
           growth


                                 Fund
                               growth         More
                              internally   intangible
       Manager     Manipul        &
                                            assets &    Less Debt
        s invest     -ate                               Monitoring
                                 Less
       unwisely    accounts     capital     Growth
                               market       options
                              Monitoring
THREE IMPORTANT CONCLUSIONS
   Audit fees for High FCF companies(low growth and
    high growth) are significantly higher than those for
    low FCF companies.

   Audit fees vary negatively with debt for companies
    with high FCF;

   However, No evidence to suggest that audit fees vary
    negatively with dividends or share repurchase.
THREE WAYS OF IMPROVEMENT (LIMITATIONS)

   Samples used- US capital markets, where the agency
    problem of FCF can be more significant for auditors than
    elsewhere.

   Only supply-side explanation of the positive relation
    between the agency problems of FCF and audit fees. May
    consider other explanations;

   no comparison of audit fees between high FCF/ low
    growth companies and high FCF/high growth companies
Team presentation -current issues

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Team presentation -current issues

  • 1. Agency problems and audit fees: further tests of the free cash flow hypothesis TEAM PRESENTATION WANG QI 42272645 GUO LIN 41948807 YU NING 41430581 JI DANDAN 42322723
  • 2. OUTLINE Main Aim Three Difficulties Conclusions and Objectives limitations • Introduction • Explanation of the main • Demonstration of • Conclusions aim of three hypotheses of this paper objectives in detail • limitations/Ar • Hypotheses eas need raised in future relation to these objectives improvement
  • 3. MAIN AIM Provide further evidence on whether the audit fees vary in relation to the agency problems in high FCF companies Specifically, test whether high FCF companies with low growth/high growth prospects have higher audit fees and which mechanisms can mitigate the agency cost.
  • 4. THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES  1st objective: test the audit fees/high FCF relationship  Hypothesis 1 : Audit fees for high FCF companies > low FCF companies’ audit fees.
  • 5. THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES  2nd objective: test whether debt is acting as a monitoring mechanism that can reduce audit fees for these high FCF companies  Hypothesis 2: Audit fees for high FCF companies low levels of debt > high levels of debt.
  • 6. THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES  3rd objective: whether dividend and share repurchase can mitigate audit fees  Hypothesis 3: Audit fees for high FCF companies low level of dividends > high level of dividends low share repurchase > high share repurchase
  • 7. DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND FCF hypothesis Underlying assumption: self-interest Managers invest in non- value maximizing projects Lower level of efficiency
  • 8. DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND Debt -monitoring hypothesis  funds available to managers  debt holders monitor managers’ behaviors  debt covenant
  • 9. DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND Audit fees relationship FCF Hypothesis ( Increase with higher audit risk & audit efforts) High FCF/Low High FCF/High growth growth Fund growth More internally intangible Manager Manipul & assets & Less Debt s invest -ate Monitoring Less unwisely accounts capital Growth market options Monitoring
  • 10. THREE IMPORTANT CONCLUSIONS  Audit fees for High FCF companies(low growth and high growth) are significantly higher than those for low FCF companies.  Audit fees vary negatively with debt for companies with high FCF;  However, No evidence to suggest that audit fees vary negatively with dividends or share repurchase.
  • 11. THREE WAYS OF IMPROVEMENT (LIMITATIONS)  Samples used- US capital markets, where the agency problem of FCF can be more significant for auditors than elsewhere.  Only supply-side explanation of the positive relation between the agency problems of FCF and audit fees. May consider other explanations;  no comparison of audit fees between high FCF/ low growth companies and high FCF/high growth companies