INSERT TABLE 1 Table 2 reports the total number of variables graphed by type of graph. Consistently with Beatty and Jones (1992), column graphs were the most popular in annual reports in all countries. banks’ However, their usage varied from 51% in German banks to the 71% in UK banks. INSERT TABLE 2 We classified all the variables graphed, but segmental variables (), into main specific categories according to their topic. Such categories have then been grouped into four macro-categories: financial performance, other financial information, risk and non-financial information. Such classification is reported in table 3. In particular, for each category and for each country, table 3 reports the total number of variables graphed (first column), the average number of variables graphed by a single bank (second columns) and the number of banks that graphed at least one variable (third column). INSERT TABLE 3 As shown in table 3, financial performance variables were the most graphed in the European banks annual reports (268 times in total, and, on average, 5.7 times per bank), followed by other financial information (240 times in total, and, on average, 5.1 times per bank.), risk (198 times in total, and, on average, 4.2 times per bank), and non-financial information variables (176 times in total, and, on average, 3.7 times per bank). Financial performance variables were also those graphed by the highest number of banks (37), followed by other financial information variables, graphed by 34 banks. Differently from the previous rank, non-financial variables graphs were more widespread than risk graphs. Indeed only 24 banks adopted graphs on risk variables, whilst 32 graphed at least one non-financial variable. Relevant differences emerged across the five countries. In particular, whilst Spanish and UK banks used on average more financial performance graphs, Italian and French banks provided more graphs on other financial variables, such as shareholder equity, loans and deposits. In line with by Beattie and Jones (2001), we found that German banks are apt to graph more non-financial issues, such as
INSERT TABLE 1 Table 2 reports the total number of variables graphed by type of graph. Consistently with Beatty and Jones (1992), column graphs were the most popular in banks’ annual reports in all countries. However, their usage varied from 51% in German banks to the 71% in UK banks. INSERT TABLE 2 We classified all the variables graphed, but segmental variables (), into main specific categories according to their topic. Such categories have then been grouped into four macro-categories: financial performance, other financial information, risk and non-financial information. Such classification is reported in table 3. In particular, for each category and for each country, table 3 reports the total number of variables graphed (first column), the average number of variables graphed by a single bank (second columns) and the number of banks that graphed at least one variable (third column). INSERT TABLE 3 As shown in table 3, financial performance variables were the most graphed in the European banks annual reports (268 times in total, and, on average, 5.7 times per bank), followed by other financial information (240 times in total, and, on average, 5.1 times per bank.), risk (198 times in total, and, on average, 4.2 times per bank), and non-financial information variables (176 times in total, and, on average, 3.7 times per bank). Financial performance variables were also those graphed by the highest number of banks (37), followed by other financial information variables, graphed by 34 banks. Differently from the previous rank, non-financial variables graphs were more widespread than risk graphs. Indeed only 24 banks adopted graphs on risk variables, whilst 32 graphed at least one non-financial variable. Relevant differences emerged across the five countries. In particular, whilst Spanish and UK banks used on average more financial performance graphs, Italian and French banks provided more graphs on other financial variables, such as shareholder equity, loans and deposits. In line with by Beattie and Jones (2001), we found that German banks are apt to graph more non-financial issues, such as
276_aidea2013_accounting.docx