Exploring Covid-19 disclosure patterns: A comparative analysis of the financial statements of a sample of top-, mid-, and small-tier companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Nigerian Exchange and the London Stock Exchange in the 2020 and 2021 financial years
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
This study is an exploration of the impact of Covid-19 on the accounting standard disclosures of a sample of companies from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE). The study is a comparison of the impact of Covid-19 between developing nations and a developed nation. It explores how the impact of Covid-19 was disclosed in the financial statements of the sample companies from the top-, mid-, and small-tiers of the stock exchanges. Stakeholder theory and Legitimacy theory are applied to better understand the study due to their emphasis on transparency and accountability to shareholders. A content analysis was carried out using financial statements of 90 companies from the LSE, 79 companies from the JSE and 37 companies from the NGX. Covid-19 disclosures were not as prevalent as expected in the financial statements. The study finds that the JSE and LSE had a higher number of Covid-19 disclosures than the NGX in both years. The number of disclosures between the market tiers varies by stock exchange however. The most impact disclosed in all the stock exchanges revolved around IFRS 16 Leases, IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements with focus on going concern, and IAS 36 Impairment of Assets. Covid-19 had the consequence of halting business activity globally. This meant assets were unused, affecting impairment and leasing activities. Going concern also became a major issue for businesses worldwide. The study is guided by the legitimacy and stakeholder theories to contribute to the literature on the impact of major events on the disclosure practices of entities taking into the need for stakeholders to have adequate information provided
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce University of the Witwatersrand, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023
Keywords
Covid-19, Stock exchange, IFRS, Impact, Accounting standards, IAS, Disclosures, UCTD
Citation
Makara, Motanyane .(2023). Exploring Covid-19 disclosure patterns: A comparative analysis of the financial statements of a sample of top-, mid-, and small-tier companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Nigerian Exchange and the London Stock Exchange in the 2020 and 2021 financial years [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38683