ERIC Number: EJ886669
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Feb
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1544-0389
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Folly of Making EPS Comparisons across Companies: Do Accounting Textbooks Send the Correct Message?
Kelley, Timothy P.; Hora, Judith A.
Journal of College Teaching & Learning, v5 n2 p53-59 Feb 2008
This paper demonstrates why EPS comparisons across companies are meaningless. An example is provided showing how a company with a higher ROE than another company may have a lower EPS simply from having a lower book value per share (and more shares outstanding) than the comparison company. While ROE comparisons across companies can be useful, cross-company EPS comparisons are meaningless due to the arbitrary number of shares outstanding across companies. The authors review the EPS discussion of 31 financial and intermediate accounting textbooks aimed at US students and find that six of these textbooks incorrectly assert or imply that cross-company EPS comparisons are meaningful. Over 50% of the textbooks reviewed provide no warning that cross-company EPS comparisons should be avoided.
Descriptors: Textbooks, Accounting, Decision Making, Undergraduate Students, Higher Education, Evaluation, Masters Degrees, Business Administration Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A