Income smoothing and performances of enterprises: A study of manufacturing firms in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined income smoothing and performance of enterprises: A study of manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The objective is to determine whether income smoothing has relationship with performance of businesses taking a study of manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Using purposively sampling, technique data for five years (2017-2021) on Market Value Per Share (MVPS), Earnings Per Share (EPS), Net Assets Value Per Share (MVPS), Earnings Per Share (EPS), Net and Income (NI) were obtained from the annual reports of selected 20 manufacturing firms quoted on Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as at 31st December, 2021. The analysis of the data was done using correlation and regression methods. Further, F-test statistics was done to compare variance obtained from the grouped sample. It was found that relationship exist between income smoothing and performance of manufacturing business, it was also found that firms in the high sales bracket presents less variable income numbers in their financial statements implying smoothed income than those manufacturing enterprises in the low sales bracket. The study recommends engagement of qualified and skilled auditors to investors for proper analysis of financial statements of enterprises for identification of smoothed income in the financial statements which in some cases are done fraudulently.