Efeito direto de cada norma (IAS/IFRS) nas principais rúbricas e indicadores económico-financeiros como consequência da alteração do referencial contabilístico: evidência empírica

This study examines the quantitative impact of the change in accounting standards on the individual financial statements and attempts to identify the direct effect of each standard International Accounting Standards/ International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS) in the main economic and financial indicators. To this end, the following two questions have been formulated: Q1: Did the change from local standards to IAS/IFRS produce significant changes in the financial information provided for the companies? And Q2: What is the direct effect of each standard in the accounting figures and economic and financial ratios? Using a set of statistical tests applied to information provided by the companies used as a sample we were able to obtain answers to the questions raised. The results of the research reveal that the quantitative impact is significant in the balance sheet figures, particularly in terms of total assets and, within this, long-term financial investments and current assets, of total equity, particularly for the rubrics of reserves and retained earnings and relatively to the long-term liabilities and, within this, the rubric of provisions. Regarding to the economic and financial ratios the main changes identified are related to long-term resources and liquidity ratio. These variations are explained by the adjustments arising from the new recognition criteria and measurement due to the change of normative and which resulted in reclassifications and changes in accounting methods, overwhelmingly related to the changes introduced by IAS 1, 38, 39, 12, 37, 36 and 19.