| The increasing presence of foreign listings on U.S. exchanges provides additional investment opportunities but also increases the need for an understanding of the risks and rewards associated with these investments. The purpose of this study is to observe the extent to which U.S.-listed foreign firms report non-GAAP financial performance measures and to compare the characteristics of these disclosures to those of U.S. firms. The information provided by non-GAAP financial performance measures, as reported in press releases, has the potential to influence investor perceptions of firm performance in a misleading manner.;Using a matched-sample design, this research compares U.S.-listed foreign firm and U.S. firm non-GAAP financial performance disclosure frequency, non-GAAP disclosure adjustment characteristics, reconciliation quality, and strategic non-GAAP disclosures. Tests of the hypotheses indicate similar disclosure frequencies for U.S. firms and U.S.-listed foreign firms. In addition, non-GAAP disclosure and adjustment characteristics that proxy intent to influence investor perceptions of firm performance are examined. Analyses of these disclosure characteristics provides evidence consistent with the interpretation that U.S. firms engage in aggressive non-GAAP reporting behaviors (providing disclosures to influence investor perceptions of firm performance in a misleading manner) equally or more so than U.S.-listed foreign firms. U.S. firms make larger adjustments to GAAP earnings to arrive at non-GAAP earnings than do U.S.-listed foreign firms. Similarly, U.S. firms make a higher number of adjustments to GAAP earnings to arrive at non-GAAP earnings than do U.S.-listed foreign firms. However, the likelihood of reporting income-increasing adjustments and the ratio of recurring adjustments to total adjustments were not found to be different for U.S. firms and U.S.-listed foreign firms. Inconsistent with this result is the finding that the quality of U.S. firm reconciliations is equal to or greater than that of U.S.-listed foreign firms.;Investor protection, through a country's legal system and regulatory environment, impacts reporting behaviors. Regulation G addresses reconciliation quality, yet allows limited compliance exceptions for foreign registrants. Consequently, it appears that U.S. firms provide reconciliations of equal or greater quality than U.S.-listed foreign firms. Other non-GAAP disclosure behaviors lack regulation. Without regulation, it appears that U.S. firms show more signs of aggressive non-GAAP disclosure behavior than U.S.-listed foreign firms. |
