본 연구는 2011회계연도부터 K-IFRS로의 전환에 따라 확대 적용되는 공정가치회계의 정보유용성을 검증하기 위하여 금융기관을 대상으로 공정가치 서열체계에 따라 분류된 매도가능금융자산의 공정가치 정보에 대한 가치관련성(value-relevance)을 실증 분석한다.
K-IFRS는 공정가치를 측정하기 위하여 사용하는 가치평가기법과 관련된 투입정보를 제공하기 위하여 공정가치 서열체계를 정하였다. 동일한 자산이나 부채의 활성시장 공시가격에 가장 높은 순위(수준 1)를 부여하고 직·간접적으로 관찰 가능한 시장정보에 의해서 뒷받침되는 투입정보는 수준 2로 분류하며 관측 가능하지 않은 투입변수에 가장 낮은 순위(수준 3)를 부여하도록 하였다. 공정가치 서열체계가 낮을수록 관측 가능하지 않은 변수를 투입하여 공정가치가 측정되므로 측정오류 및 경영자의 재량으로 인한 신뢰성의 하락을 예측할 수 있다.
본 연구는 이와 같은 공정가치 서열체계의 특징에 관심을 두고 이에 대한 시장의 차별적 반응에 대하여 분석하였다. 연구결과, 수준 1과 수준 2로 측정된 매도가능금융자산은 양(+)의 가치관련성을 가지는 반면, 수준 3으로 측정된 매도가능금융자산은 음(-)의 가치관련성을 가지는 것을 발견하여, 수준 3의 투입변수에 의하여 측정되는 공정가치에 대한 시장의 부정적 인식을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 공정가치평가를 통하여 금융기관의 중요한 감독지표인 자본적정성 지표를 조정하고자 하는 유인이 있을 수 있는 바 이에 대한 시장의 반응을 검증하였다. 그 결과, 자본적정성이 낮은 금융기관의 경우, 자본적정성이 증가할수록 수준 3 투입변수로 측정된 매도가능금융자산에 대한 가치관련성은 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 자본적정성이 낮은 기업들이 수준 3으로 분류되는 매도가능금융자산을 이용하여 자본적정성 비율을 조정할 수 있는 가능성에 대하여 시장이 부정적으로 인식하고 있는 것을 시사한다.
본 연구는 공정가치 서열체계에 따라 분류된 공정가치정보에 대한 시장의 차별적 반응을 우리나라에서 처음으로 실증 분석한 연구로써 K-IFRS 도입으로 확대 적용된 공정가치평가를 시장은 항상 긍정적으로 인식하는 가에 대한 시사점을 제공한다. 또한 수준 3 투입변수에 의해 측정된 공정가치에 대한 신뢰성 확보를 위한 적절한 지침 및 제도적 보완이 필요하다는 측면에서 금융당국과 외부감사인에게 시사하는 바가 클 것으로 기대된다.
The application of fair value accounting, which is one of the major characteristics of K-IFRS, keeps expanding for the purpose of providing useful information. This study empirically examines whether the fair value hierarchy information of financial institutions’ available-for-sale (AFS) financial assets is perceived to be relevant for equity valuation. The findings of this study should be important for standard setters to understand not only the effect of fair value hierarchy information disclosure, but also to enhance fair value disclosure for future standard (e.g. IFRS 9).
There is a trade-off between relevance and reliability in using fair value accounting. Proponents of fair value accounting argue that it better reflects how much a firm’s assets and liabilities are worth, therefore it provides more relevant information for certain decisions. In contrast, opponents of fair value accounting argue that fair value is not as reliable as historical cost. Subjective judgement and estimation errors, which are inherent components of fair values, are difficult for investors to verify and thus, fair values could easily be used for managerial manipulation. In spite of the continuing debate on the usefulness of fair value, fair value accounting is achieving more and more popularity nowadays, especially under IFRS.
IFRS 13 “Fair value measurement,” requires companies to classify financial assets and liabilities reported at fair value based on the observability of the inputs used in the measurement process; Level 1 (observed inputs from quoted prices in active markets), Level 2 (indirectly observable inputs from quoted prices of comparable items in active markets or other market‐related information), and Level 3 (unobservable, firm‐generated inputs). Among the three levels of fair values is the Level 3 which seems to be the most problematic. Level 3 fair values are less observable and are subject to greater information asymmetry between investors and management. Greater amount of subjectivity embedded in Level 3 fair values could include more estimation errors and be used for managerial manipulation. Therefore, Level 3 fair values, which is argued to have relevance, could have the least level of reliability.
By using Ohlson‘s value relevance model (1995), this study examines the concern that fair value of the financial assets based on unobservable inputs due to lack of active markets (i.e. Level 3) is not reliable enough to be used in financial reporting. To maximize the power of test, first, this study focuses on the financial firms, because they hold large amount of financial assets and liabilities which are very sensitive to fair value accounting standard, because they have more reliable process of determining fair values than non-financial firms do, and because they have all three levels of financial assets and liabilities in their financial statements. Second, this study focuses on AFS financial assets because AFS financial assets are the largest class in the financial firms’ statement of financial position. Thus, we were able to test the value relevance of each level of the fair value hierarchy information under same accounting treatment.
First, we test the value relevance of each level of the fair value hierarchy information. We expect that information asymmetry between investors and managers can cause more serious problems as fair value inputs become more unobservable by investors. We find that the coefficient of Level 3 AFS financial assets are consistently lower than that of Level 1 or Level 2 AFS financial assets. We also find that the coefficient of Level 3 AFS financial assets is negative. Collectively, the evidence suggests that equity investors recognize Level 3 information unreliable because of its intrinsic measurement error and the error caused by information asymmetry between managers and investors.
Second, we examine whether value relevance of the fair value hierarchy information depends on firms’ capital adequacy ratio. The capital adequacy ratio is an important concern for the management and investors of financial firm. Therefore, the management of financial firms have incentives to use their discretion on the estimation of Level 3 fair values to manage the reported level of regulatory capital adequacy ratio. We find that the value relevance of Level 3 AFS financial assets deteriorates as the capital adequacy ratio increases for the firms who have lower capital adequacy ratio. This result suggests that equity investors suspect the earnings management through Level 3 financial assets especially for the firms who have lower capital adequacy ratio.
We believe that this paper, by demonstrating the value relevance of fair value hierarchy information for the first time in Korea, can contribute to extant the insight regarding the usefulness of fair value accounting. And our results suggest that regulators and external auditors should develop adequate guidance and systematic complement to reserve reliability of fair value information.