ABSTRACT

Although China is one of the largest recipients of inward investment and one of the largest outward investors, it is challenging for researchers to collect evidence about investors’ information needs and the decision usefulness of reporting in this emerging economy. The authors discuss results from a survey of professional investors in China. They find that accounting information, particularly where it is forward looking, is most important for an investment decision or an investment recommendation. Buy-side analysts favour accounting information while sell-side analysts view non-accounting information as more important. An overwhelming majority consider accounting information to have both confirmative and predictive value.