Using the Beneish M-score model: Evidence from non-financial companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange

Abstract

The risk of distortion of financial statements has been growing. Following the 2008 crisis, recipients of financial information are increasingly focusing on the likelihood of financial statements being distorted through fraudulent presentation of financial information. Therefore, scientific research pays more attention to models capable of detecting financial statement manipulation.The paper aims to present the principles of functioning and the possibility of using the Beneish M-score model in Polish realities. It analyzes the history of more than 30 companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange to select those whose history indicates that they can be classified as manipulators, and to select the same number of companies from the control group that are considered as non-manipulators.The research method involves the analysis of empirical data on companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The analysis showed the 8-factor Beneish model identified manipulators with 100% accuracy and succeeded in identifying non-manipulators. The effectiveness of the 5-factor model was much lower. To serve the purpose of the study, the effectiveness of the Beneish model was tested on a small sample of Polish listed companies as an introduction to a planned larger scale research. The results obtained are consistent with the results of numerous studies by authors from various countries and confirm the effectiveness of the Beneish model in detecting financial statement manipulation. AcknowledgmentThe publication is sponsored by funds from the Cracow University of Economics for the maintenance and development of research potential.

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