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Full Disclosure Principle

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The full disclosure principle states that any future event that may or will occur, and thatwill have a material economic impact on the financial position of the business, should be disclosed to probable and potential readers of the statements. Such disclosures are most frequently made by footnotes. For example, a hotel should report the building of a new wing, or the future acquisition of another property. A restaurant facing a lawsuit from a customer who was injured by tripping over a frayed carpet edge should disclose the contingency of the lawsuit. Similarly, if accounting practices of the current financial statements were changed and differ from those previously reported, the changes should be disclosed. Changes from one period to the …show more content…

When firms enter new markets or businesses, the way they structure these new businesses can result in greater complexity and less transparency. For instance, a firm that keeps each business separate will be easier to value than one that squeezes all the businesses into a single entity.
The cause of poor transparency, however, is less important than its effect on a company 's ability to give investors the critical information they need to value their investments. If investors neither believe nor understand financial statements, the performance and fundamental value of that company remains either irrelevant or distorted. Mounting evidence suggests that the market gives a higher value to firms that are upfront with investors and analysts. Transparency pays, companies with fuller disclosure win more trust from investors. Relevant and reliable information means less risk to investors and thus a lower cost of capital, which naturally translates into higher valuations. Of course, there are two ways to interpret this evidence. One is that the market rewards more transparent companies with higher valuations because the risk of unpleasant surprises is believed to be lower. The other interpretation is that companies with good results usually release their earnings earlier. Companies that are doing well have nothing to hide and are eager to publicize their good performance. It is in their best

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