Type of Earnings Management and the Effects Debt Contracts, Future Earnings Growth Forecast and sales Growth: Evidence From Iran

The purpose of this study is to investigate the type of earnings management in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) in terms of opportunisticor efficient earnings management. In addition, in this research we investigate the effect of three variables including debt contracts, future earnings growth forecast and sales growth on the type of earnings management in companies listed on the TSE. For this purpose, we develop and test four hypotheses in four different modes by using multiple regressions. The results of testing first hypothesis show that type of earnings management selected by TSE listed firms tends toward efficient earnings management. Also, results of the other hypothesis tests indicate that efficient earnings management has a positive and significant relationship withdebt contracts and growth of firm's sales; and a negative and significant relationship with future earnings growth forecast.