Detecting earning manipulation using the Beneish M-Score Model: Evidence from public listed companies in Malaysia

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the association between earning manipulation using the Beneish M-Score Model and share price with market capitalisation as the control variable among public listed companies (PLCs) in Malaysia. The study was performed over a four-year period from 2017 to 2020 using the financial data of 65 PLCs under the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) Bursa Malaysia Top 100 Index, including various industries except the financial service industry. The Beneish M-Score Model comprised eight variables or ratios to identify earning manipulations, namely Days Sales in Receivable Index (DSRI), Gross Margin Index (GMI), Asset Quality Index (AQI), Depreciation Index (DEPI), Sales Growth Index (SGI), Sales, General and Administrative Index (SGAI), Total Accruals to Total Assets (TATA), and Leverage Index (LVGI). The market price was measured using the year-end share price. The findings found that there was a weak negative association as well as a statistically insignificant relationship between earning manipulation and share price, which suggests that earning manipulation is influenced by other factors excluding share price. The findings did not support the argument that there was a significant relationship between earning manipulation and share price where companies had been discovered to have engaged in earning manipulation. The study is crucial for the stakeholders that expect companies to achieve the maximum returns and stability in investments and to protect owners’ rights.